Cleveland Browns–New York Giants Trade History

New York acquired Gene Filipski from Cleveland in September 1956 for the Browns' eventual 1957 seventh-round selection, No. 82 overall, used on Mike Rotunno. Filipski played 24 games for the Giants and joined a championship-season roster. Cleveland received a late-round choice, but New York obtained more direct NFL value from the transaction.

New York acquired guard Bob Mischak from Cleveland in June 1958. The Browns received the Giants' 1959 sixth-round selection, No. 70 overall, and used it on Jim Prestel. Mischak was an established lineman who gave New York immediate veteran value, while Cleveland recovered a concrete future player. The exchange produced useful value on both sides without a dramatic gap.

New York traded tackle Reed Bohovich to Cleveland on August 20, 1963 for what the contemporary transaction ledger describes as a high draft pick. Bohovich had played 10 Giants games as a 1962 rookie, but Cleveland waived him before the 1963 regular season. The exact draft selection received by New York remains unidentified in the reviewed record.

New York acquired tight end Bobby Crespino from Cleveland in a straight player trade for veteran defensive tackle Dick Modzelewski on March 4, 1964. Crespino spent five seasons with the Giants, catching 12 passes for 165 yards in 1964 and scoring four receiving touchdowns in 1965.

Cleveland traded defensive tackle Mike Bundra to the New York Giants on September 14, 1965 for a 1966 sixth-round pick. Cleveland's own draft history identifies the acquired choice as the selection used on James Battle, and Pro Sports Transactions lists it as No. 90. The record should replace the generic 'draft pick' label with that exact sixth-round selection and provenance.

New York acquired defensive end Jim Garcia from Cleveland in August 1966. The Browns received the Giants' 1967 third-round pick, No. 55 overall, and selected Don Cockroft. Garcia supplied the Giants with a veteran defender, but Cockroft became a 13-season Browns fixture, giving Cleveland substantially more sustained value from the direct exchange.

New York acquired linebacker Sid Williams from Cleveland on August 6, 1967 for a player to be named later or a future draft choice. Contemporary reporting and Pro Sports Transactions agree on those terms. Williams never appeared in a regular-season game for the Giants and was moved to Washington for cash on August 27, while Cleveland's eventual return from the original conditional consideration remains unidentified.

Cleveland Browns received 1968 sixth round pick (#152-Nathan James / Nat James) from New York Giants in the 1967-09-11 trade. Cleveland received the 1968 sixth-round pick and selected Nat James at No. 152. New York Giants's return was Vince Costello. New York acquired Vince Costello. Those realized outcomes, rather than the labels on the assets alone, drive the hindsight grade.

New York acquired quarterback Gary Lane from Cleveland on September 4, 1968 for the Giants' 1969 sixth-round pick, No. 145. Lane appeared in seven games for New York as a reserve quarterback that season but did not attempt a pass.

New York turned Homer Jones into running back Ron Johnson, defensive tackle Jim Kanicki and linebacker Wayne Meylan. Johnson became the centerpiece, topping 1,000 rushing yards twice and earning two Pro Bowl selections during six Giants seasons, while Kanicki and Meylan added useful defensive depth. Jones caught only 10 passes in his lone Cleveland season, making the Giants' three-player return overwhelmingly more productive.

New York acquired Jack Gregory and Fred Summers from Cleveland through two linked June 15, 1972 transactions, sending its 1973 first-round pick for Gregory and its 1973 second-rounder for Summers. Gregory immediately became a Pro Bowl pass rusher for the Giants, but Cleveland used the picks on Steve Holden and Greg Pruitt. Pruitt's five Pro Bowls and long Browns career give Cleveland the stronger overall return.

New York acquired tight end Chip Glass from Cleveland on August 14, 1974 in a straight player-for-player trade for defensive end-linebacker Carter Campbell. Glass played 13 regular-season games for the Giants in 1974, starting once and catching three passes for 23 yards. Campbell was released by Cleveland before the season and never appeared in a Browns regular-season game.

Cleveland reacquired veteran defensive end Jack Gregory from the Giants on August 1, 1979 for its 1980 seventh-round pick. Gregory played all 16 games for the Browns, started 11 at right defensive end and recorded 2.5 sacks in his final NFL season.

On 2007-03-09, Cleveland Browns received Tim Carter, while New York Giants received Reuben Droughns. The hindsight verdict is Even Trade, with Cleveland Browns graded C and New York Giants graded C. The evaluation credits only the consideration that can be traced confidently and keeps uncertain pick details out of the final judgment.

Cleveland acquired Odell Beckham Jr. from the Giants in exchange for Jabrill Peppers, the 17th pick in the 2019 draft and a third-round pick. Beckham produced one 1,000-yard season for the Browns but never became the transformational piece Cleveland expected. The Giants used the first-rounder on Dexter Lawrence, who developed into a multiple-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle.

The Giants and Browns completed a veteran-for-veteran swap centered on guard Kevin Zeitler and edge defender Olivier Vernon. Zeitler became a dependable New York starter, opening 31 games across two seasons and stabilizing the interior line. Vernon also delivered meaningful Cleveland pass-rush production when healthy, including nine sacks in 2020. Their team-specific returns remained close in both duration and impact.

Cleveland sent the No. 74 pick to New York on April 24, 2026 for Giants selections No. 105 and No. 145 plus a 2027 fourth-round choice. Cleveland then packaged Nos. 105 and 145 with its own No. 206 pick to move up to No. 86 for offensive tackle Austin Barber. The future fourth-rounder remains an additional Browns asset, so the trade cannot yet be judged solely by the players selected in 2026.

New York sent 2026 selections No. 105 and No. 145 plus a 2027 fourth-round pick to Cleveland for No. 74, then used the acquired third-round choice on Notre Dame receiver Malachi Fields. The Giants' official account dates the move to April 24. With Fields still early in his NFL career, New York's return is best understood as certainty on a targeted receiver rather than established professional production.