The Cleveland Browns are positioned as sellers ahead of the NFL trade deadline and have a handful of players they could deal for substantial draft assets.
One of the more valuable trade candidates on the roster is five-time All-Pro Joel Bitonio. The offensive guard has been one of the best interior linemen in the league for years and is only under contract through the end of this season.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports named the Green Bay Packers as a top landing spot for Bitonio based on their need along the offensive line as well as their status as Super Bowl contenders in the NFC.
“Cleveland probably shouldn’t be in the business of selling its most accomplished lineman while deploying a rookie at quarterback in Dillon Gabriel,” Benjamin wrote Thursday, October 23. “But the Browns are in transition (as always), and Bitonio isn’t getting any younger at 34. Imagine if the seven-time Pro Bowler finally had the opportunity to line up in the trenches for a legitimate contender. He remains an interior staple.”
Joel Bitonio May Have Say in Whether Browns Trade Him or Not
GettyOffensive guard Joel Bitonio of the Cleveland Browns.
Bitonio has spent his entire 12-year career in Cleveland and has earned over $107 million during that span. Given the time he’s spent with the Browns and how consistently great he’s been, Bitonio might be one of the few players on the roster who will have some say over whether he stays or goes.
For some athletes, there is an allure to playing their entire careers with one organization. Former Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, a teammate of Bitonio’s for four seasons and a 10-time Pro Bowler, played all 11 of his NFL campaigns in Cleveland.
However, Bitonio has played for just two playoff teams during his decade-plus with the Browns. As such, he may want a chance to play out his career somewhere he might be able to compete at the highest level.
Given his age and contract situation, coupled with a youth movement in Cleveland that has seen five of the team’s seven draft picks earn regular starting positions in 2025, the Browns may view any trade request from Bitonio as a potential win-win situation.
Packers Offensive Line Has Battled Injuries, Poor Play All Season
GettyRunning back Josh Jacobs #8 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after his rushing touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals with offensive linemen Darian Kinnard #70 and Aaron Banks #65.
On Green Bay’s side of the equation, the offensive line has been a mess of injuries and poor play through the team’s first six games.
Pro Football Network ranked the Packers’ O-line in a tie for 28th last week with an overall unit grade of 64.2. The worst member of the group is guard Aaron Banks who came over from the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason. Banks has played in and started four games, missing two contests already, and is on the team’s injury report again this week with a groin injury, though he is likely to play.
Bitonio, who plays Banks’ position, is the top-rated player on Cleveland’s offensive line, which has the worst ranking in the NFL based on Pro Football Network’s grading system. However, Bitonio’s grade is an 88.0, which renders him the second-best guard in football to this point in the year as well as the seventh-best offensive lineman overall, according to the website’s point system.
The Packers’ run game could use a boost, which Bitonio can provide. Meanwhile, quarterback Jordan Love is one of the best passers in the league when he doesn’t face pressure, but is near the bottom of the NFL when he does. Therefore, adding a player of Bitonio’s caliber makes a ton of sense for Green Bay in both the pass and run games.
How much the Packers might offer Cleveland in return is difficult to say given Bitonio’s age, though the price should go up if he is willing to sign a contract extension in Green Bay and guarantee the franchise at least another year or two before retirement.
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