CLEVELAND, Ohio – We are constantly learning about Andrew Berry as a GM. It was not surprising when Browns’ second-year CEO of football operations and general manager said on Wednesday, “The trading market will be something we’re always in,” but it helps us inform his approach.
The trade market in the NFL is catching up with other leagues. The onslaught of backs who want to switch teams will only drive it faster.
There’s still an inefficiency to exploit for smart GMs from analytically driven teams – and the Browns just fear it and one that has worked among some staff members is not afraid to end up in the trading pool.
Sashi Brown, John Dorsey and Howie Roseman are all aggressive traders. Berry has worked the last three of his formative years among the three, and he started with the Browns in 2016.
Trading is still tough in the NFL, and Berry explained why.
“The assumption is always that people are not willing to trade,” he said. “I do not think that is necessarily the case. I think the financial aspect plays a part in that. I think the other thing is, let’s say you’re trading for a third baseball player and you’re a baseball team. Playing the third base for the Yankees or the Cardinals is largely the same. That may not be the case with football. All of these nuances make finding trading partners perhaps a little more challenging in our sport compared to others. ‘
Berry and the Browns are always going to look for edges and inefficiencies where they can benefit. With extra draft capital and the ability to take in money, they may be able to find it in a trading market as teams are looking for a lower capital.
* Consider me curious to see how things play out with Rashard Higgins. At the same time, Berry said the Browns would like him back, but also acknowledges that he has the right to make the best decision for him.
“Suffice it to say that we would like to get Rashard back,” Berry said. ‘Of course he has played a key role for us over the past year and we have a very positive history with him. Look, free agency can be difficult, and he obviously deserves the right to make the decision that suits him best. We will maintain good communication with him and his representatives throughout. We’ll see where it goes. ”
Does that mean the Browns want Higgins back, but only at their price? Maybe Higgins, who has said he wants to stay in Cleveland, will find something more than the Browns are willing to pay him – or at least set the market for what it will take to bring him back. This one is murky.
* Berry has avoided a lot of long-term conversations when it comes to Baker Mayfield, but I do not read too much into it. I’m still going back to January when Berry said, ‘It was really the same track with Myles (Garrett). Obviously we did his deal in the summer, but it was not something I really felt comfortable talking through in the off-season. I just do not think this is the right forum. We are very pleased with Baker. ”
On Wednesday, almost every comment on Mayfield was strictly limited to 2021.
“We were pretty consistent with our messages around Baker that we think he had a very strong season for us. “We like the ripening and the growth, both on and off the field, and we look forward to him continuing to make progress in the second year of the offense,” said Berry.
Most of these major expansions are done in the summer or right before the season, so there is no rush to this. Berry compartmentalized his off-season later in his call and extensions were not at the top of the list.
“We have very important decisions we’re going to make, the first of which comes with guys who have contracts within the next two and a half weeks,” Berry said in response to a question about a possible extension for Nick. Chubb. ‘We do have a number of players who are eligible for extra time, of which Nick is one. This is something we will go through as we go through the off-season. ”
With Berry and this front office, nothing will be rushed. There are clear steps forward and it starts with the fifth-year options for Mayfield and Denzel Ward, which only need to be exercised in May.
* Was his most interesting answer about the defensive end position and the importance of finding a running mate for Garrett?
“I do not know that I would necessarily single out that position in defense, among other things, if I were to guess where you are going with this question,” he said. ‘I think it’s great to have two bookends along the defensive line – very few teams do that. I think there are a number of different configurations that can make us successful on the defensive line. We’ll look at adding talent in that spot, not unlike what we’ll be doing throughout the defense and up and down the rankings, but I will not necessarily be zero there. ”
It would not surprise me if the addition of another cornerback, even with the return of Greedy Williams, is equally important.
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