Buffalo Bills–Cleveland Browns Trade History

Cleveland acquired Buffalo's AAFC rights to Frank Aschenbrenner, but the researched evidence does not support the three-player Buffalo return previously attached to the transaction. Aschenbrenner never played for Cleveland, and Buffalo's actual consideration remains unidentified. With Cleveland receiving no realized on-field production and Buffalo's return unknown, the transaction is reset to an Even Trade with matching C grades.

Buffalo acquired defensive back Ricky Stevenson from Cleveland in August 1971 for a conditional tenth-round pick that would have been owed only if Stevenson made the Bills roster. The condition was not met, so the draft choice was not exercised. Buffalo received a no-cost opportunity to evaluate a player, while Cleveland ultimately received no pick. Because Stevenson did not create a lasting Bills return either, the completed exchange grades as even.

Buffalo acquired Bo Cornell from Cleveland for the 1974 sixth-round pick later used on Billy Pritchett. Cornell stayed with the Bills for five seasons, became a special-teams captain and started extensively at linebacker, giving Buffalo durable value from a modest draft cost. That multi-year contribution clearly exceeds the return created by the surrendered selection and supports a B grade and a Bills win.

Buffalo Bills received 1974 tenth round pick (probably #249-Don Calhoun) in the deal with Cleveland Browns. Buffalo received a 1974 tenth-round choice, probably the selection used on Don Calhoun. Calhoun played 20 Bills games with modest rushing production, but the pick-to-player linkage remains probable rather than certain. That result supports a B- for Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills Win verdict weighs the documented service and usable draft value each side actually realized from the exchange.

Buffalo Bills received Rich Kingrea / Rick Kingrea / Rick Kingrey. Buffalo received linebacker Rick Kingrea. His Bills tenure was limited, so the player return did not create much lasting value for Buffalo. The club obtained a usable player, but Cleveland's draft choice produced the more durable NFL contribution after the exchange. That result supports a C grade for Buffalo Bills.

Cleveland acquired defensive back Neal Craig from Buffalo for a 1976 eighth-round pick that became Scott Gardner. Craig immediately played 11 games with ten starts for the Browns in 1975, then added 14 games and nine starts in 1976, intercepting a pass in each season. Gardner never appeared in a regular-season NFL game for Buffalo. Cleveland turned a late pick into two years of starting-caliber secondary value.

Buffalo traded veteran defensive lineman Earl Edwards to Cleveland for the 1977 third- and sixth-round choices used on John Kimbrough and Ron Pruitt. Kimbrough supplied one useful season, including two receiving touchdowns and a punt-return score, while Pruitt never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. The return was real but short-lived.

Cleveland acquired elite guard Joe DeLamielleure from Buffalo in September 1980 for second- and third-round draft choices. DeLamielleure became a regular on the Browns' offensive line and later reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Buffalo used the picks on Chris Williams and Eugene Marve, receiving some roster value but not enough to match the proven high-end lineman Cleveland obtained.

Buffalo sent running back Terry Miller to Cleveland for a 1982 seventh-round pick that became No. 171, Gary Anderson. Miller was released before appearing in a Browns regular-season game. Buffalo drafted Anderson but waived him before his rookie season, and his later success came elsewhere. Neither club realized meaningful team-specific production from the transaction.

Buffalo turned Tom Cousineau's rights into a premium package headlined by Cleveland's 1983 first-round pick, which became No. 14 overall and Jim Kelly. Two additional future selections also went to Buffalo. Kelly's eventual Hall of Fame career and role in four consecutive AFC championship teams make this one of the clearest long-term wins in Bills trade history.

Buffalo acquired defensive back Lawrence Johnson from Cleveland on October 9, 1984 for a future draft choice. Johnson immediately appeared in 10 games for the Bills, then played 16 more in 1985 and six in 1987, totaling 32 Buffalo games and six starts. The compensation is tied by the draft ledger to Cleveland's 1986 seventh-round pick, No. 167, used on Jim Meyer, giving Buffalo the stronger realized return.

Cleveland secured Buffalo's first selection in the 1985 supplemental draft and used it on Bernie Kosar, sending a broad package that ultimately included first-, third- and sixth-round draft value plus the unresolved Chip Banks obligation. Kosar became Cleveland's long-term starting quarterback and led deep playoff runs, while Buffalo converted the compensation into several useful assets. Cleveland still gained the more important centerpiece.

Buffalo sent veteran linebacker Chris Spielman to the expansion Browns for past considerations. Spielman retired before Cleveland played its first regular-season game after another neck injury, so Buffalo gave up no subsequent Browns on-field production. The exact value of the past considerations is unclear, making Buffalo's win real but modest rather than a major asset haul.

Buffalo acquired tight end Mark Campbell from Cleveland for the 2004 sixth-round pick that became No. 176, Kirk Chambers. Campbell played 42 games with 33 starts for the Bills over three seasons, catching 70 passes for 681 yards and six touchdowns. Chambers appeared in 21 games for Cleveland without a start before moving on. Cleveland received usable depth, but Buffalo obtained the substantially more productive player and wins the trade.

Buffalo paid a premium to move from No. 9 to No. 4 for Sammy Watkins, but Watkins delivered 2,459 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in three Bills seasons before being traded for E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second-round pick. Cleveland received No. 9 plus 2015 first- and fourth-rounders, yet the chain produced Justin Gilbert, Cameron Erving and Ibraheim Campbell with limited Browns impact. Hindsight favors Buffalo despite the expensive original price.

Buffalo traded Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland for the first pick of the third round, No. 65, creating valuable draft flexibility while moving on at quarterback. The Bills later packaged No. 65 with No. 22 to climb to No. 16 for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Taylor opened 2018 as Cleveland’s starter but made only three starts before Baker Mayfield took over, leaving Buffalo with the stronger long-term return.

Buffalo Bills received Corey Coleman in the exchange with Cleveland Browns. Buffalo released Corey Coleman before the 2018 regular season, so the Bills received no regular-season production from the acquisition. Against Cleveland Browns' return of 2020 7th round pick (236th overall subsequently traded, Vernon Scott), that outcome supports an F grade. The transaction is judged as Cleveland Browns Win, with the mark based on the football value that actually followed from the deal.

Buffalo traded Wyatt Teller and a 2021 seventh-round pick to Cleveland for 2020 fifth- and sixth-round selections. Teller became an elite guard for the Browns, earning repeated Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition. Buffalo’s return was far better than the original grade suggests, however: the fifth-rounder was included in the Stefon Diggs package and the sixth-rounder became kicker Tyler Bass. Cleveland still landed the best direct player, but both teams created major value.

Buffalo Bills received Case Keenum in the exchange with Cleveland Browns. Its C grade reflects the practical value of that return relative to the package surrendered and the hindsight result. The grade remains tied to documented value for the acquiring club, without assigning credit for unresolved or hypothetical downstream consideration.

Buffalo acquired Amari Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick from Cleveland for a 2025 third and 2026 seventh. Cooper gave the Bills 20 catches, 297 yards and two touchdowns in nine regular-season games plus modest playoff production before leaving after the season. Cleveland used the third-rounder on quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who appeared in 10 games as a rookie. The lasting rookie-contract value now tilts this trade toward the Browns.