It may seem like a long shot right now, but the Cleveland Browns could make a move that shakes up the NFL this season.

Yesterday, the Browns did a contract reconstruction for the second day in a row. In the last three days, LG Joel Bitonio and DE Myles Garrett both had their deals reworked.

With the moves, the Browns were able to open about $20 million in cap space to bring them to a total of $34 million under the cap. With such cap space, the Browns could make a splash trade for DT Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams this season.

That may sound crazy at first but it’s not all that far-fetched and I’m going to lay out why.

Why the Rams do it?

If you are not a fan of the Rams, you’re going to have a hard time naming three starters on their defense. That is no coincidence, as the Rams’ defense is not built to win. When the Rams won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, they accomplished their goal.

Now, the team is nearing the likely end of Matthew Stafford’s career and will soon be under a full rebuild. Outside of Donald, Stanford, and Cooper Kupp, there is a struggle to find proven players on the Rams roster.

Los Angeles is going to lose a lot of football games this fall, to be kind. By the time the trade deadline comes around, rumors of Donald being possibly traded will have been out there for some time.

Donald, 32, isn’t going to be playing much longer. The best defensive player of this generation deserves to have a chance to win at the end of his career. For a team that is soon to be in a rebuild, keeping Donald and his large pay cut around does not make a ton of sense.

By shipping out Donald, the Rams can gain future assets to help them rebuild. It is a better result than Donald retiring and they lose him for nothing.

Why Aaron Donald waives his no-trade clause?

As mentioned, Donald deserves to have another chance to win. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Fame honoree without a second thought, but having a chance at another playoff run would only further his accolades.

Ending up in Cleveland would put him along the best defensive line he’s ever had. Good luck double-teaming both Donald and Myles Garrett, it’s not possible. A defensive line consisting of Garrett, Donald, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Za’Darius Smith would be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. Donald is still very productive, he had five sacks and 49 tackles in 11 games last season. Putting him in Jim Schwartz’s system with the current talent opens the door for more production.

To get to Cleveland, Donald would have to waive his No-trade clause. It is not an attractive place to live, there is no beach on the ocean like there is in Los Angeles. He wouldn’t be coming for the sightseeing, the other reasons stick out enough.

Why Cleveland makes the trade?

To make this trade, the Browns would have to be all in. All of the chips would have to be in over the next two seasons. Cleveland would have to feel great about their chances to make a Super Bowl run. By the time the trade deadline approaches in November, Cleveland will have to be in a great spot.

The cost is going to be at least a first-round pick, you would figure. Cleveland can trade their 2025 first-rounder and ab later-round pick if needed. That would be four straight seasons without a first-round pick when you factor in the Deshaun Watson trade.

Adding Donald would push Cleveland to the top of the line when it comes to defensive lines in football. There simply wouldn’t be a better one in the NFL. Donald has a $26 million cap hit this season and a $34.1 million cap hit next year. Cleveland would have to make additional moves next season to get under the cap limit but it is very possible. There is no sure word that Donald doesn’t hang it up after 2023, either.

It is more likely that the Browns are going to roll the money over to allow them to continue to be aggressive with the rising cap limit. But with the recent moves, there is part of you that has to wonder if the Browns have a big truck up their sleeve.

Don’t put anything past the decision-makers at the top, Watson is in Cleveland behind center and has every dollar on his contract guaranteed. If that isn’t enough to show you that Cleveland isn’t afraid to take a giant swing, I don’t what would be. 

Browns restructure Myles Garrett’s contract to create nice chunk of cap space

Myles Garrett’s reworked contract helps the Browns in a big way.

Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.