The Colts come to Cleveland on Jan. 3, and they will not be bringing Quenton Nelson or DeForest Buckner. Indianapolis traded both on the same Tuesday, and the Browns didn't have to pick up the phone.
That's the Browns trade deadline nobody argues about. Fans can fight over selling on Jared Verse or Andrew Berry's shopping list. Meanwhile, the deadline can improve the Browns' schedule all by itself: Dawgs By Nature's rundown finds five teams left on the slate that are selling or might.
The fire sale isn't finished
Indianapolis is 2-5, fired general manager Chris Ballard on Oct. 19 and took a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder for Nelson, then a 2027 fourth-rounder for Buckner. Now the biggest name is out there too. Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter report the Colts are open to trading Jonathan Taylor, with Denver, Green Bay, Minnesota, the Giants and Seattle showing interest.
If Taylor goes, the January team that visits Cleveland loses a Pro Bowl guard, a veteran defensive lineman and its star back in the span of two weeks.
Four home dates after the buzzer
All trading ends Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. The Browns play at New Orleans two days earlier, so the Saints have a week to change their roster before Cleveland shows up. Everyone else on this list comes to Cleveland after the deadline, on the league's schedule: Houston on Nov. 15, Las Vegas on Nov. 29, Atlanta on Dec. 13 and Indianapolis on Jan. 3.
Houston is 2-5. Las Vegas has lost four straight. Those are the sellers to watch. Atlanta is a different case: 3-4 and still tied for the NFC South lead, which is a strange place to start shipping out veterans.
Cleveland's own deadline discipline is a fair debate. This part needs no debate at all. Every veteran those teams move by 4 p.m. on Nov. 10 is one the Browns never have to block or cover.
Image: AI-generated image.
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