Browns Are One Trade Away From Winning NFL Offseason

One could make the point that no team has enjoyed a better offseason than the Cleveland Browns. Most of their young core is still intact, and first-year GM Andrew Berry has done a tremendous job adding to their collection of talent in both free agency and the NFL Draft.

However, that shouldn't stop the Browns from further bolstering their roster, which could use some reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball. Luckily for them, safety Malik Hooker could be available via trade after the Indianapolis Colts surprisingly declined the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.

Cleveland should waste no time getting Indy on the phone.

Hooker would be the perfect addition to a Browns secondary that, despite featuring talented cover cornerbacks in Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams, is horrendous at tackling. The former No. 15 overall pick would help mask that issue straight away. His injury history is definitely alarming, but he has a world of potential, as evidenced by his seven interceptions and 117 tackles in 33 career starts.

Trading for the Ohio State product would also allow 2019 second-round pick Grant Delpit the necessary time to adapt to the speed of the NFL. As things stand, the former LSU star is likely penciled in as a starter for Cleveland.

The Colts lost all of their leverage when they refused to exercise Hooker's fifth-year option. That means the Browns could make out like bandits by offering a 2021 third-round selection, or something along those lines for the 24-year-old ball hawk.

A playmaking safety like Hooker would alter the entire dynamic of Cleveland's defense and overall ceiling for the 2020 season.