After the loss in Pittsburgh, the Cleveland Browns dropped to third in the AFC North and out of the playoff picture altogether in the conference. They sit at eighth in the AFC and have to get back on the winning track in order to keep pace. The Browns only play three games against teams over .500 the rest of the season. 

The offense has been a black hole for the team in the first three quarters. Their ineffectiveness is driven by their inability to run the ball and protect the quarterback. Watson leads the entire NFL in getting sacked and Quinshon Judkins is on pace for fewer yards than in his injury-shortened season last year.  Trading for help on the offense may be able to save their season. 

The offensive line has struggled to both run and pass block. Harold Fannin Jr. has had to play closer to the line of scrimmage to help with blocking, which has resulted in fewer touches for him. In Pittsburgh, he had his best receiving game of the season and looked unstoppable as a pass catcher, but it came with a cost as Watson got sacked eight times and the running game was non-existent. 

The Browns can save their offense by trading for a tight end that can block. Fannin Jr. can then be utilized to the best of his skill set, and the new tight end can play closer to the line of scrimmage to help the anemic line. There is a great fit at the position that could be on the trade block.  

Andrew Ogletree, Indianapolis Colts

The 6’5, 260-pound tight end could be available, as the Colts have already traded away two major pieces and got throttled last week in Jacksonville. He is the Colts’ best blocking tight end and is on the last year of his contract. Trading for him would not cost any meaningful assets for the Browns and the transition should be smooth as his primary objective would be to block. 

He was drafted in the sixth round out of Youngstown State. Ogletree only has three catches this season and 25 in his career. He has been the blocking tight end for star running back Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones has been sacked 11 fewer times than Watson. 

On obvious passing downs, Fannin can line up on the outside and become a pure pass catcher. Ogletree can be used as a true blocking tight end. When Fannin has played downfield, the Browns have used running backs to try and provide extra protection. That strategy has not worked, and they need a bigger body to handle that duty. 

Fannin is a key factor in the offense, as he can turn a short gain into a large one with his ability to break tackles. He is too fast and elusive to be covered by linebackers and too strong to be covered by a slot corner. Any other player trying to cover Fannin would benefit KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. 

Ogletree can also be used to slip out of the backfield on obvious passing downs. The Browns ran a play with Blake Whiteheart on their game-winning drive against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where the defense ignored him, thinking that he was only going to be used as a blocker, and he slipped out for an uncontested touchdown.

Although the Browns got defeated handedly in Pittsburgh, the offense is not too far off. The last half of the schedule lends them to be able to stack wins and save their playoff hopes. A non-consequential trade for Ogletree can help them fix their biggest problems down the stretch.