The Cleveland Browns had arguably one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Injuries to guards, Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston have depleted the important position. The orange-and-brown brain trust made a nice move today in a trade that sent defensive end Brian Sanford to the Seattle Seahawks for offensive lineman John Moffitt.
Cleveland desperately needs an experienced spot starter and they will get that in Moffitt. Despite drafting offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey from Chadron State in the seventh round, the Browns feel much more comfortable with Moffitt. Drafted in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft from the Wisconsin Badgers, Moffitt brings 15 career starts to the table for Cleveland. I was very high on the 26-year-old in 2011 and felt that he was one of the most valuable linemen in the draft.
At 6’4″ and 319 pounds, Moffitt will be the perfect fit in a Browns offense that plans to get Trent Richardson the ball 300 times. In 2012 for the Seahawks, the third year guard blocked for one of the elite rushers in the game – Marshawn Lynch. Moffitt was apart of a Seahawks offensive line that paved the way for Lynch to run for over 1,500 yards. New Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski had this to say about his newest player, “John’s a tough and versatile lineman who will be in the mix for us upfront.”
While Sanford is a decent defensive end that seems to make the Browns roster every year, this trade is even. Sanford will have more of an opportunity out west. A redshirt freshman when Joe Thomas was a Badger, Moffitt will fit the make up of this team very nicely.
Ryan Ruiz is the Cleveland Browns Beat Writer for The Inscriber: Digital Magazine. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter @ryanpruiz24. Ryan is also a Cleveland Browns Correspondent for The SportsFix. Tune in every Friday at noon on www.thesportfix.net.