The NFL landscape in July is usually a boring, uneventful wasteland that is just waiting for training camp to start. That said, the AFC is keeping things interesting by shocking fans and media members by trading away All-Pro and Pro Bowl-caliber players to one another.
The Chargers should keep this trend going and call up fellow AFC team, the Cleveland Browns, for some of their assets.
The Chargers Need To Call Rebuilding Team For A Potential Blockbuster Trade
The Browns are a team that is coming off three wins in 2024 and is likely to start rebuilding, considering they drafted two rookie quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Cleveland possesses a few Pro Bowl-caliber players on expiring contracts, whilst the Chargers are midst of creating a playoff hopeful roster.
Luckily for both parties, the positions of need for the Chargers and the position of tradeable assets for the Browns align perfectly. The Chargers desperately need another guard to compete with Bradley Bozeman, assuming Zion Johnson’s move to center is successful enough to keep him there.
The Chargers Need At Guard
Bozeman’s 2024 season was majorly disappointing as his 52.3 PFF Pass Blocking Grade was 53rd out of all 64 qualifying centers. This is not a good look for a guy who was re-signed and pretty much handed another opportunity to start.
Even with the Chargers improving their interior offensive line room by adding backup center Andre James, and former first-round pick Mekhi Becton, this room is still looking at Johnson to move to a new position AND continuing to start their disappointing 2024 offseason signee, the aforementioned Bozeman.
This faith in having both of these dominos fall perfectly is a bad process, giving the possibility that having a Chargers trade in the near future a real chance.
The Browns’ Talent Surplus At Guard
Now that we know the Chargers are interested in a trade, what do the Browns possess that the Chargers want?
Simply put, anyone on their interior offensive line, even going down to their second team unit. For better or for worse, the Browns have been stacking up interior offensive line talent, and it has come to the point where a trade is almost necessary for cap and roster construction reasons.
The main targets for the Chargers should be Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio. Both of whom are in their 30s, with Teller being 30 and Bitonio being 33, respectively. Couple that with their contracts both expiring at the end of 2025, this allows them to be perfect trade candidates as the trading team could easily not re-sign them if the trade backfired.
But how would this make sense for the Browns? Losing a starting offensive lineman, whether it is Teller or Bitonio, both of whom have made All-Pro teams and recently made Pro Bowls in 2023 (Teller) and 2024 (Bitonio) is always a massive hole to fix.
Luckily, the Browns have prepared for this by drafting Zak Zinter in the third round in 2024, who was coming off a broken tibia and fibula but is now healthy and ready to compete. Furthermore, the Browns also confusingly signed Teven Jenkins, who is an above-average, talented, young offensive lineman who has played both tackle and guard, but his ball has undoubtedly been at guard.
So with both of those options available, trading one of Bitonio or Teller should be a fairly reasonable idea for the Browns.
Trade Proposal For Both Parties
Trade history for guards since 2020 shows a trend that guards who are usually on the move are on the older side, and have moved for little value.
The Wyatt Teller Trade Proposal
Chargers get: Wyatt Teller & 2026 Browns seventh-round pick [from Bills]
Browns get: Chargers 2026 fifth-round pick & 2027 sixth-round pick
The Chargers will get the younger guard of the two on the chopping block from the Browns, but it will cost them a bit more. The Chargers re-coup a seventh-round pick in that they lost in trading for Elijah Molden last off-season, but will lose their fifth-round pick in the process. Furthermore, they will also give up a 2027 sixth-round pick to ensure the Browns still gain another rookie salary on their rebuilding roster.
The Joel Bitonio Trade Proposal
Chargers get: Joel Bitonio
Browns get: Chargers 2026 sixth-round pick
This Chargers trade proposal is quite simple, as the Chargers will be getting an aging yet prolific guard on an expiring contract, while the Browns get younger at their position and garner another draft pick for their 2026 class.
Last Word on Potential Blockbuster Chargers Trade
In either one of the listed trade scenarios above, the Chargers receive a talented veteran interior offensive lineman to sure up some of their woes, while the Browns continue to stack draft picks up to continue their rebuild going into 2026.
A win-win for both sides, thus making this potential Chargers trade an obvious consideration for General Manager Joe Hortiz.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire – Imagn Images
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