The Cleveland Browns would love to trade for Andre Johnson from the Texans, but that deal could be over difficult to pull off and after the team added Miles Austin and Earl Bennett to the mix for Johnny Football Manziel after losing Josh Gordon to a potential drug suspension, they will likely bypass trades for receivers like Danny Amendola, Brandon Gibson or Mike Wallace with the Miami Dolphins.
The Browns came into the draft knowing that they might lose Gordon for the season after another drug issue and this comes after he was suspended for two games last season. While the Browns have added Miles Austin and Earl Bennett to the mix while getting rid of Greg Little, the team still needs more at the position, as Nate Burleson is injured as well and now Gordon's status is up in the air. The team could look for a trade and while that is unlikely at this stage, there are some names at WR that could be available, including Andre Johnson, Danny Amendola, Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson.
The Johnson trade option would be great, but the team likely can't pull that off money wise and even if they could, Johnson is not looking to go to a rebuilding situation. Johnson's main gripe with the Texans is that they may not be playoffs contenders this season or next and Cleveland would be in the same position, so that likely is off the table if it was even ever on the table to begin with. The Browns have the draft picks to make that deal happen, but long term is doesn't make sense since those draft picks are valuable and it will be some time until the Browns are in the playoffs as a contending team.
The Browns could look at Mike Wallace or Brandon Gibson, as the Dolphins may be more willing to trade one of those players now that they have drafted Jarvis Landry. Wallace signed for over $50 million before last season and while the Dolphins may like Wallace, GM Dennis Hickey was not the man to sign him and if he thinks he can get a solid deal, he could make a move. Another option is Gibson for the same reasons sand he could be much cheaper to deal with than Wallace. The Dolphins need depth at the position so that may not be a wide move, but Landry gives them the chance to at least think about it.
The Browns made some big moves in the draft by taking Johnny Manziel at number 22 and snagging Justin Gilbert in the top 10 and while they didn't draft any wideouts, the team did grab Andrew Hawkins in the offseason and have now signed Miles Austin and Earl Bennett. Austin was injured for part of last season, but he has made two Pro Bowls in his career and if he can stay healthy he could be a very productive receiver for the Browns. Bennett spent six seasons with the Bears and while he did not exceed expectations, he was solid while making over 180 catches. The Browns have some areas they can improve heading into the summer and WR is one spot to watch as Johnny Manziel battles with Brian Hoyer for the starting job.
