The Cleveland Browns and New York Giants pulled off one a rare swap of veteran starters on Friday, with edge-rusher Olivier Vernon heading to Cleveland and offensive guard Kevin Zeitler on his way to New York.
The move allows the Giants to plug one of many holes on their offensive line, while Cleveland adds a dangerous pass-rusher to line up alongside Myles Garrett.
There are a number of different angles to dissect in this trade, but first, Browns fans should familiarize themselves with Oliver Vernon. Here are all of his sacks from the 2018 season:
Browns Pass-Rush is Now Elite
The most obvious impact from the trade is on the Browns pass rush, which now boasts two of the game’s best at getting to the quarterback.
Using data from Sports Info Solutions over the past three years, I compared every defensive end with least 150 pass-rush snaps in a single season. Based their pressure rate (percentage of pass-rush snaps on which they generate pressure), Vernon’s 2018 season ranked in the 87th percentile, while Garrett’s ranked in the 73rd.
Not many teams can put a pair of edge-rushers on the field with that type of production, and it’s probably not too much of a leap to expect both players to improve upon those numbers in 2019.
Vernon’s production primarily came as the right defensive end (or right outside linebacker, depending how the Giants lined up). However, that’s the role Garrett occupies in Cleveland.
Assuming Vernon shifts to the left side of the defensive line, he’ll see more favorable matchups against right tackles. And when opponents leave an extra blocker on the field in the form of a tight end, where will they line him up? Do you throw an extra player at Garrett because he’s likely to be the more feared pass-rusher? Or do you give your weaker right tackle help on Vernon?
Either way, it should create more one-on-one situations for both players.
Browns Gain Long-Term Financial Flexibility
Vernon is more expensive than Zeitler, but since the Browns have more cap space than they can spend, that’s of little consequence. The more significant factor is the length of Vernon’s contract.
The Browns have Vernon wrapped up through the 2020 season, which likely contributed to their interest in him. By signing a free agent of Vernon’s caliber, the Browns would be forced to commit money beyond 2020, which potentially would have created an issue down the road.
Following the 2020 season, the Browns will need to pick up Myles Garrett’s fifth-year option, which will make him among the highest paid players at the position. Additionally, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi becomes a free agent that same offseason.
With Vernon’s contract off the books in 2021, the Browns will have the flexibility to pick up Garrett’s option and re-sign Ogunjobi without worrying about having too much money wrapped up in the defensive line.
Why Trade Zeitler?
The Browns probably could have acquired Vernon with draft picks, so why move one of the best guards in the game? The answer might simply be about not wasting resources.
Dorsey spent the 33rd pick on Austin Corbett last year, and he barely saw the field. It’s possible Dorsey originally hoped either Corbett or Joel Bitonio would shift to left tackle, allowing their biggest investments to all play together on the offensive line, but that never happened.
So with three offensive guards on the roster who all need to see the field, it made sense to get rid of someone, rather than allow an asset to rot on the bench. And given Zeitler’s contract and his value on the trade market, he was the obvious choice to go.
Now the Browns have upgraded their pass rush while, hopefully, only suffering a minor downgrade on the offensive line.
How Trade Affects the Giants
Despite missing 5 games, Olivier Vernon accounted for a team-high 18.1 percent of the Giants QB pressures in 2018. From Week 6 on (when he returned from injury), he accounted for 25.4 percent.
That production is going to be extremely difficult for the Giants to replace, and it makes me wonder if GM Dave Gettleman has already decided he’s not drafting a quarterback at No. 6. Given the depth of talent at defensive end in this draft class, Gettleman can be fairly certain he’ll have the opportunity to draft a quality pass-rusher in the first round. So is that his plan for replacing Vernon?
If they do go that route, Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat and Michigan’s Rashan Gary are the most likely candidates.
