Browns release Tretter, trade for Winovich

  On a Tuesday that saw the Haslem bunch travel to make their pitch to DeShaun Watson in an attempt to have the beleaguered passer give the Browns his stamp of approval for a potential franchise-altering swap, the Cleveland Browns still were making alterations to the franchise as the Browns made two transactions that they did not need permission to make.

Cleveland released starting center J.C. Tretter after five seasons with the Browns.

Tretter was beaten up often in his Cleveland tenure but never missed a game and helped add professionalism to a team that desperately lacked it before his arrival from Green Bay.

The Browns will save eight million dollars off their cap by releasing Tretter but it remains to be seen if former fifth-round choice Nick Harris can replace Tretter's production.

Tretter had been questioned by some about the distraction of his role as the head of the players union since he took over that position but I don't think that it affected his performance with the Browns and I think that this all came down to moving dollars around (DeShaun Watson or no DeShaun Watson) and make a cheaper and a little younger offensive line.

The Browns also made a trade as they traded linebacker Mack Wilson to the Patriots in exchange for linebacker Chase Winovich.

While on a roster sheet, this looks like a trade of players at the same position the two are vastly different players as Winovich is an outside linebacker that adds pass-rush ability as a rush end while Wilson is a more traditional linebacker that can drop into coverage.

I always liked Mack Wilson since the Browns grabbed him in the fifth round from Alabama in 2019 and he played well as a rookie with eighty-two tackles, a sack, and an interception.

Wilson's playing time decreased in each of the following seasons and last season rarely played outside of special teams and it was clear that Wilson might have a hard time making the team in 2022.

I hope Wilson can make the best of his fresh start in New England with Bill Belichick, who likely has some inside information on Wilson from his college coach- one Nick Saban and I would not be shocked at all to see Wilson flourish in Foxboro.

Chase Winovich might be remembered by some as the long-haired leader of the Michigan Wolverines "Redemption Tour" in 2018 that talked so much smack only to lose to Ohio State but after the Patriots selected him in the third round in the 2019 draft, Winovich was productive in his first two seasons as he finished with five and a half sacks in both 2019 and 2020 in a part-time role as a pass rusher.

At 6'3 and only 250 pounds, Winovich will have to make his living off the pass rush as he's too small to play defensive end against the run and not quick enough to play in coverage and Winovich was occasionally a scratch for the Patriots, rarely playing and didn't notch a sack in his six tackles on the season. 

Like Mack Wilson, Winovich might be a player that needs a change of scenery, and to be used as a situational pass rusher could be helpful to the Browns.

The Winovich for Wilson is a classic trade of talented players that disappointed their teams that drafted them but have shown enough at times to have value for another team to take a chance with.