The Cleveland Browns made a sensible, buy-low move to start the new league year when they acquired wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in a trade with the Denver Broncos on Saturday.
For now, Jeudy becomes a one-year rental at a position of need. The Browns were looking for speed and experience at wideout, and in Jeudy they get both at the cost of a fifth- and sixth-round pick. Jeudy is under contract for 2024 only at his guaranteed fifth-year option number of $12.9 million.
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Broncos trade Jerry Jeudy to Browns for 2024 picks
The Browns have been big March spenders in the past, and the front office, led by general manager Andrew Berry, always has an aggressive mindset. Cleveland is looking to maximize its current roster in the wake of an 11-win 2023 season.
The Jeudy trade is a little like the one the Browns made two years ago to acquire wide receiver Amari Cooper, although one with a lower ceiling. Cooper and Jeudy both grew up in South Florida and played collegiately at Alabama.
Soon, we’ll begin to get a better feel for all of Berry’s plans and the Browns’ budget. Over The Cap listed the Browns at just over $17 million in available cap space ahead of the Jeudy trade. Trades and signings can officially be processed and teams must be salary-cap compliant at the official start of the league year on Wednesday.
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Browns free-agency priorities: Wide receiver, D-lineman among biggest question marks
Berry has said the team doesn’t need to exercise its right to restructure the contract of quarterback Deshaun Watson and create salary-cap space by essentially halving his current 2024 cap number of $63.9 million, but in doing so Cleveland would give itself more flexibility to pursue top-of-the-market options and still retain some of its own free agents. The Jeudy trade means the Browns almost have to create more cap room soon.
In early March, the Browns restructured existing contracts for Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., in each case creating around $11 million of 2024 cap space. Though Wills’ contract for the season ahead is the fully guaranteed fifth-year option of his rookie deal, the result of the restructure was the same. Wills remains under contract for 2024 only, and the Browns added void years to push the cap hits into future seasons.
Here, we’ll be tracking all the moves in the days and weeks to come with the official start of the free-agent negotiation period beginning on Monday.
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March 12
Browns agree to terms with QB Jameis Winston
Cleveland has its new backup quarterback. Winston reached an agreement with the Browns, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, after spending the past four seasons with the New Orleans Saints. The first overall pick in 2015, Winston has thrown 141 touchdown passes and 99 interceptions throughout his nine-year NFL career.
March 11
LB movement: Jordan Hicks agrees to deal, Sione Takitaki departs
The Browns’ first external addition of this year’s free-agency class is linebacker Jordan Hicks. Per ESPN, Hicks will join the Browns on a two-year deal worth up to $8 million.
The addition of Hicks, who turns 32 this summer, comes on the same day former Browns linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. agreed to a one-year deal with Miami and Sione Takitaki agreed to a one-year deal with New England.
Hicks played under Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in Philadelphia early in his career. Now, Hicks likely takes on a starting position and can fill a leadership role for an experienced Cleveland defense that earlier Monday agreed to deals to bring back veteran defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith and Maurice Hurst.
Walker had signed one-year deals with the Browns in each of the last three offseasons. Takitaki was the last remaining member of the team’s 2019 draft class and played 2023 on a one-year deal. At some point later this offseason, the Browns will likely move to do a contract extension for their best linebacker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Hicks played four seasons with the Eagles, three in Arizona and the last two with the Vikings. He went to high school at Lakota West in Southwest Ohio and played collegiately at Texas before being drafted by the Eagles in the third round in 2015. He’s started 119 career games and has 13 career interceptions.
Browns agree to re-sign DE Za’Darius Smith
The Browns’ first big move of free agency was finalizing a new deal for defensive end Za’Darius Smith, a key piece of what was one of the NFL’s best pass rushes last season.
The Browns acquired Smith in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings last May and reworked his contract after the trade to allow him to hit free agency this year. Smith had 5.5 sacks while lining up opposite Myles Garrett, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, in the Browns’ base defensive packages. Per NFL Network, Smith will return on a two-year deal worth up to $25 million.
Though the Browns and Smith agreeing to a new deal so quickly is a bit of a surprise, it probably speaks to Smith being considered a priority. Even ahead of his age-32 season, Smith is a valuable and versatile pass rusher who started every game the regulars played for Cleveland last season.
Browns agree to re-sign DT Maurice Hurst
The Browns also re-signed defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, a pass-rush specialist whose 2023 season was ended by a December pectoral injury. Four of the Browns’ top eight defensive linemen from 2023 hit free agency Monday: Smith and Hurst are back, and defensive tackles Jordan Elliott and Shelby Harris remain unsigned.
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Anthony Walker Jr. agrees to deal with Dolphins, Mike Ford to Texans
Per multiple reports, the Browns are losing linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. to Miami on a one-year deal and cornerback Mike Ford to the Houston Texans on a two-year deal. Though it’s too early in the player movement to overreact, the losses of Walker and Ford are significant from an experience and leadership standpoint.
The Browns were probably prepared to lose Walker, who had been a team captain and productive player when healthy. With Walker and fellow linebacker Sione Takitaki hitting free agency this month for a second straight year, the chances were slim that both would return.
Ford was a nice find in the second wave of free agency last year. He was one of the Browns’ top special teams players in 2023 and also played in 11 games on defense.
Things to know
Expected standard restructure: QB Deshaun Watson
Expected pay cut/restructure: RB Nick Chubb
Potential restructure candidates: WR Amari Cooper (one year left), OT Jack Conklin (three years left)
Potential extension candidates: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, DE Myles Garrett, CB Greg Newsome II, OT Jedrick Wills Jr. (though the restructure indicates no extension is imminent)
Potential cut candidates: TE Jordan Akins, OL Drew Forbes
Notable free agents: QB Joe Flacco, DT Shelby Harris, RB Kareem Hunt, P Corey Bojorquez, TE Harrison Bryant, C Nick Harris, DT Jordan Elliott, G Michael Dunn, WR James Proche, T Geron Christian
(Photo of Za’Darius Smith: Jason Miller / Getty Images)
