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The Cleveland Browns have made their offensive and defensive lines a priority in 2017, opting to rebuild from the inside-out in order to put a woeful 1-15 season behind them. Cameron Erving, the No. 19 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, was not part of those plans.
Cleveland traded Erving to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft. It was another bold preseason move from the franchise; on Wednesday, the Browns released another former first-round pick when they cut former Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden.
What does this mean for the Browns?: Executive VP Sashi Brown is committed to the team’s rebuild, jettisoning players who don’t fit regardless of the cost incurred to acquire them. Erving was a relic of a prior regime, a first-round pick who struggled to fit in and had to be shuffled across Cleveland’s offensive line to find his niche. Despite the team’s best efforts, he started only 17 games in his two seasons with the club.
Brown added veterans Kevin Zeitler and J.C. Tretter to give the Browns one of the league’s best offensive lines, and it became clear this preseason Erving wasn’t a fit. There was a chance they’d just release the former first-round pick — see Haden above — but Kansas City’s interest meant the club got more than just cap relief for the one-time blue-chip prospect.
The trade also means more draft assets for Brown’s extensive and ongoing roster overhaul.
Browns picks in the 2018 NFL Draft
— Dan Kadar (@MockingTheDraft) August 30, 2017
1.
1. (via Hou)
2.
2. (via Hou)
2. (via Phi)
3.
4.
4. (via Car)
5.
5. (via KC)
6.
6. (via Pitt)
7.
What does this mean for the Chiefs?: Kansas City gets a player two years removed from a first-round grade for a fifth-round price. Erving has been disappointing in Cleveland, but a shift from the league’s saddest franchise to one coming off an AFC West title could be the key to unlocking Erving’s potential. At 6’5 and 308 pounds, he has the size and athleticism to play on the interior of the line or at tackle, and the Chiefs need all the blocking help they can get; the franchise lost top tailback Spencer Ware to a torn PCL and need bodies to clear space for Charcandrick West and rookie Kareem Hunt.