As the National Football League weighs rules to dramatically alter kickoffs, ban the tush push and get rid of the hip-drop tackle, the Cleveland Browns have their own proposal that they help will make football even better moving forward.
Speaking to reporters at the 2024 NFL Combine, Browns’ general manager Andrew Berry revealed that the club has submitted a proposal to the league to reschedule the NFL trade deadline.
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The NFL held its 2023 trade deadline on Oct. 31 at 4:00 PM ET, giving all 32 clubs approximately two months to figure out their rosters and determine if they wanted to be buyers or sellers. Unsurprisingly, much like every other year, the NFL trade deadline was quiet.
A big reason for that is the timing. The NFL holds its trade deadline less than halfway through the regular season, meaning a majority of teams aren’t going to make an aggressive decision that could backfire with another half of their schedule remaining. That’s part of the motivation behind the Browns’ proposal.
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“We want to retroactively correct the fact that the NFL trade deadline never moved when the season expanded to 17 games. Number four, if at some point in the future, the regular season expands to 18 games, we want it to be proactive in terms of the positioning for the trade deadline.”
Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry on proposal to move the NFL trade deadline (H/T Mary Kay Cabot)
Cleveland is a data-driven organization and its research played a heavy part in its proposal. As Berry explained, every other major sports league holds its trade deadline well past the halfway point of the regular season. As a result, it typically yields more activity.
That’s why the Browns are proposing the NFL trade deadline be moved to mid-November. Not only will this potentially spark more activity in the years to come, because teams will have a better feel of where they stand, but also because it proactively is set up for a potential expansion to an 18-game season.
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“One thing”If you loo”If you look at us compared to other major sports leagues. If you look at their seasons by like, calendar days or games played, baseball and basketball they have the trade deadline at when 65 percent of the games are played. Hockey is at 78 percent. Currently, we’re at 45 percent. Our proposal would move it to about 55 percent of the games played.”
Andrew Berry on the NFL trade deadline vs trade deadlines in other sports
It’s unclear how receptive the league office and other teams would be to moving the NFL trade deadline. However, if general managers see it as beneficial and it leads to more deals and NFL trade rumors, it could benefit the league both from competitive and entertainment standpoints.
