Browns trading for failed Jets first-round pick S Calvin Pryor

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer

When the New York Jets used their first two draft picks this year on safeties, it was clear 2014 first-round pick Calvin Pryor wasn’t in their plans anymore.

The Cleveland Browns saw a buying opportunity.

The Browns are trading for Pryor, the team announced. The Browns will send former Jets linebacker Demario Davis back to New York in the trade.

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Pryor is the most interesting piece of the trade, because he’s not far removed from being a top prospect coming out of college. He was the 18th pick of the 2014 draft, and analysts raved about his overall game. But he never played to that level in three seasons starting for the Jets, rarely making any big plays. So the Jets picked safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye in this year’s draft. Pryor was forced to the third-team defense in OTA practices.

Pryor is still just 24 years old with a good prospect pedigree. The Browns are stockpiling talent for a defense that could improve rapidly, and it’s worth the gamble to see if the light turns on for Pryor in his second stop. Davis is a solid player who had 99 tackles for the Browns last season, his first year in Cleveland after four seasons with the Jets. The move leaves the Browns a little thin at inside linebacker, but the chance to add Pryor was worth it.

Pryor even earns points for his old basketball tweets, preferring Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving over Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.

Perhaps Pryor will never translate his potential into NFL production. But it was worth it for the Browns to find out.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!