Strong Safety Dominates as Cleveland Browns Claim 2023 Championship with Exceptional Defense
Here's why the Cleveland Browns must avoid trading for this former first-round quarterback during the 2026 NFL offseason.
The Cleveland Browns , after posting a horrific 5-12 record last season, will now look to completely revamp the roster prior to the upcoming season. General manager Andrew Berry has already made significant progress this offseason during the 2026 NFL Free Agency period by signing multiple offensive guards in Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins. In addition to the veteran guards, Berry also traded for a new starting right tackle to begin the offseason in former Houston Texans’ lineman Tytus Howard.
Now, the main concern surrounding the struggling franchise is the quarterback position, as Deshaun Watson and 2025 fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders are slated to compete for the starting role leading up to training camp. While many believed that Cleveland would be in the market for a quarterback in free agency, the organization elected not to sign a veteran; however, a potential addition via the 2026 NFL Draft or a trade remains a possibility. One name that has begun to gain attraction as a potential trade candidate is former Minnesota Vikings ’ JJ McCarthy, but the question becomes whether or not he would be a good fit in newly-hired head coach Todd Monken’s offense in 2026.
Should the Browns Trade for McCarthy? After leading the Michigan Wolverines to a National Championship during the 2023-24 college football season, McCarthy would be one of five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. However, the 23-year-old quarterback would not be as successful as his peers throughout his first two seasons in the NFL.
McCarthy missed the entire 2024-25 season after suffering a season-ending knee injury prior to his rookie season. To make matters worse, the Vikings opted to let star quarterback Sam Darnold walk in free agency, putting more pressure on McCarthy to step up this past year. Unfortunately for the young playmaker, he would not live up to the high expectations as the team’s starting quarterback, as he threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in his 10 games played in 2025.