Browns Film Breakdown Morning Newsletter: 11/5/2024

Slightly delayed for voting and an important Cleveland Browns trade.

(Photo - Cleveland Browns)

It’s a big day for our country where we get the opportunity to get out voice heard. Take advantage of that, my friends. I know my family is excited on multiple levels — mainly the commercials coming to an end. Those things have been turned up to 100 this year. But mainly our oldest kiddo is fascinated with the process and very much into what all of this means. It’s an important election and I just hope it all goes smoothly for you whatever way you vote.

We had to wait over an hour this morning but it moved along well and it was cool to see everyone out voting. Be safe and make your voice heard. That’s it and that’s all.

Reminder on what we’re doing with these Newsletters each morning:

We will aim to do with this Morning Newsletter — give you something new to know. This Newsletter won’t be over-saturated with links to click on or anything useless but rather something small, concise, and meaningful that has to do with the Browns each morning. Topics will vary but normally it’ll be something I watched on film review, or something I noticed about the next opponent, or a college player I think you should know ahead of the off-season. Just a piece of information I think is worth your time and definitely won’t waste your time. That is what you can expect. And with a nice and direct link to your daily podcast as well.

We now shift our attention to the NFL’s rapidly moving trade deadline and what it all means.

The Browns made the move we all saw coming this morning when they decided to pull the trigger with the Lions and move veteran defensive end Za’Darius Smith to a team badly needing help on the edge. Smith helps the Lions relieve some of the pressure from losing Aidan Hutchinson and the Browns get something in return. The form of return might have been slightly less than anticipated but these types of deal in-season can be tricky.

The Browns had to offload Smith and a 7th round pick to the Lions just to get back a 2025 5th and 2026 6th. So, if it all balances out on the draft capital side you see that it is basically just an acquisition for a 5th round pick this year. It makes perfect sense for the Lions as they don’t bear much of the financial weight of Smith’s contract signed before the 2024 season.

But this is less the news reporting and more what this means for the Browns moving forward. Let’s dig into that.