Cleveland Browns–San Francisco 49ers Trade History

Cleveland Browns received conditional draft pick (if Harrington makes 49ers roster) (not exercised) from San Francisco 49ers in the 1950-08-16 trade. Cleveland sent Packard Harrington to San Francisco; the available 1950 49ers roster record does not show a regular-season contribution from Harrington. San Francisco 49ers's return was Packard Harrington. The conditional draft choice was not exercised, so San Francisco did not transfer a realized pick to Cleveland. Those realized outcomes, rather than the labels on the assets alone, drive the hindsight grade.

Cleveland’s fourth-round pick from San Francisco became Bob Oristaglio, who played 12 Browns games in 1951 and caught one 20-yard touchdown before moving to Philadelphia. San Francisco received Gordy Soltau, and the comparison is overwhelming: Soltau spent nine seasons with the 49ers, made three straight Pro Bowls, earned three All-Pro selections, led the NFL in scoring twice and retired with a franchise-record 644 points. The 49ers earn an A+.

San Francisco acquired Bob Van Doren from Cleveland on August 11, 1953 for the 49ers' 1954 tenth-round draft choice, No. 119 overall. Van Doren played 10 regular-season games with three starts for San Francisco that season. Cleveland used the acquired pick on SMU tackle Don Goss, correcting the legacy row's uncertainty between two different 1954 selections.

San Francisco acquired rookie defensive back Fred Bruney from Cleveland on September 22, 1953 for a 1954 tenth-round draft choice. The 49ers' own trade history identifies the return as a No. 10-round choice, and the 1954 draft ledger shows Cleveland using pick No. 119, acquired from San Francisco, on Don Goss. Bruney immediately started all 12 games for the 49ers and intercepted five passes as a rookie.

San Francisco received Cleveland's 1965 first-round pick after the Browns acquired veteran guard Ted Connolly. The 49ers used the No. 13 selection on defensive back George Donnelly, who played 33 games with 18 starts over three San Francisco seasons. Connolly played 10 games for Cleveland in 1963 without a start.

Cleveland Browns received the 1965 sixth-round pick later used on Arnie Simkus from San Francisco in the 1964-07-01 trade. San Francisco received veteran center Frank Morze. Simkus did not produce regular-season value for Cleveland, while Morze was the player return acquired by the 49ers. Those realized outcomes support San Francisco's C+ grade over Cleveland's C- grade and the existing 49ers-win verdict.

Cleveland traded wide receiver Clifton McNeil to San Francisco on September 2, 1968 for the 49ers' 1969 second-round selection, No. 42 overall. That pick later moved through Cleveland to Pittsburgh, which selected Warren Bankston, so Bankston should not be treated as a Browns player return. Cleveland did receive valuable second-round draft capital, but it gave up a receiver who immediately became one of the NFL's best pass catchers.

Cleveland acquired kicker Matt Bahr from San Francisco in October 1981 for a 1983 ninth-round draft choice. Bahr became a long-term Browns fixture, playing 115 games for Cleveland and entering 1990 as the franchise's all-time leader in field-goal percentage. San Francisco later moved the late pick in another transaction, but the original return never approached Bahr's nine-season value. Cleveland earns a strong A- to C win.

San Francisco jumped from No. 30 to No. 10 for wide receiver J.J. Stokes, sending Cleveland its 1995 first-, third- and fourth-round picks plus a 1996 first-rounder. Stokes had a respectable 118-game career, but the future first became No. 26 in 1996 and was used by the relocated franchise on Ray Lewis. The extraordinary package makes Cleveland's side the decisive winner.

Cleveland acquired Roy Barker and Irv Smith from San Francisco for “past considerations” during the Browns’ 1999 expansion build. Smith started all 13 games he played for Cleveland and caught 24 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown; Barker added 12 games, three starts and two sacks. San Francisco received no new player or draft pick, but the move helped unload $3.775 million in contracts after Cleveland had already relieved another $3.024 million by selecting Antonio Langham.

Cleveland acquired Ty Detmer and a fourth-round pick later used on linebacker Wali Rainer while sending San Francisco two 1999 draft choices. Detmer provided a short bridge at quarterback, but Rainer became the real return, starting 44 games for the Browns over three seasons. San Francisco received useful draft capital, including a pick later folded into another move, yet Cleveland extracted the clearer direct football value and earns the win.

San Francisco traded fullback Marc Edwards to expansion Cleveland on April 18, 1999 for the Browns' fourth-round pick at No. 96. The 49ers immediately flipped No. 96 to Indianapolis for No. 99 and No. 171, selecting Anthony Parker and Tai Streets. Streets became the key return, producing 168 catches, 2,008 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over five San Francisco seasons.

Cleveland Browns received Ken Dorsey plus the acquired seventh-round pick; San Francisco 49ers received Trent Dilfer. Dorsey made one Browns appearance in 2006 and later started three games in 2008; Cleveland traded the acquired No. 221 pick to Chicago for Lennie Friedman. Dilfer started six games for San Francisco in 2007, throwing for 1,166 yards, seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The realized returns support San Francisco 49ers Win, with Cleveland Browns graded C and San Francisco 49ers graded C+.

San Francisco acquired Colt McCoy and the 173rd selection in 2013 for picks 164 and 227. McCoy supplied quarterback depth, while the sixth-rounder helped the 49ers move up for Vance McDonald in a separate exchange. That contribution matters, but it does not make McDonald's entire career the product of the McCoy deal.

Cleveland received 2014 3rd round pick (94th overall, Terrance West), while San Francisco received 2014 4th round pick (106th overall, Bruce Ellington), 2014 6th round pick (180th overall, Kenneth Acker). The hindsight grades are C for Cleveland and C for San Francisco. The verdict is grounded in the actual starts, production, tenure and downstream draft results produced by those assets.

Cleveland acquired three-time Pro Bowl punter Andy Lee from San Francisco for a future seventh-round choice that ultimately became No. 219 in 2017. Lee immediately gave the Browns a proven specialist for the 2015 season. San Francisco later moved the pick to Minnesota rather than selecting a player with it, so Stacy Coley should not be treated as a direct 49ers return. Cleveland received the clearer immediate value.

San Francisco acquired tackle Shon Coleman from Cleveland for a 2019 seventh-round pick. Coleman was inactive for all 16 games in 2018, spent 2019 on injured reserve and never appeared in a 49ers regular-season game. Cleveland retained the No. 243 draft asset and later included it in the Josh Gordon trade with New England.

San Francisco exchanged picks fifty-eight and 152 for Cleveland's selections seventy and 107 in the 2026 draft. The 49ers selected Romello Height and Gracen Halton, while Cleveland used its second-round choice on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. The transaction exchanged draft position for a stronger later selection. With little NFL history established, an even preliminary assessment is more defensible than a career-based winner.