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Rumors have been pointing to a deal getting done between the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns for the services of slot-receiver, Davone Bess. The Dolphins were reportedly looking for a mid-round draft pick for Bess, while the Browns were looking for a reliable weapon to help out their sophomore quarterback, Brandon Weeden. Now it appears that on the second night of the 2013 NFL Draft, the two teams have come to terms to take the trade from rumor to reality.
Davone Bess has been traded to the Browns, I’m told
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2013
The early word is that Bess has agreed to a three-year contract extension as part of the deal, and while the Dolphins compensation was not immediately revealed, it goes to reason that it will have been something in the area of a fourth-round draft pick.
This is a tough one for the Dolphins fans to take in stride because Bess has been a solid talent over his six-year career in Miami. Bess had been one of the few bright spots during some very dark times, and now, as things are starting to look promising for the Dolphins, Bess is being moved out. He was in the last year of his contract, and may not have been planning on coming back to the Dolphins in 2014, but it is still hard for the fans to see him go.
Because he was in his final year of his contract, this trade is a smart move on Jeff Ireland’s part. The general manager had already signed Brandon Gibson who fills in the slot position, and the organization likely gets an extra pick, rather than just watching Bess leave in free agency.
It is interesting to see the Browns and Dolphins working together right now. It could be argued that these two teams have been making more moves than anyone else this offseason to get their team in a position to win, and win now.
