The Cleveland Browns crushed the NFL draft, which should provide the team options with regards to some of the more expensive, but less necessary veterans on the roster.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy counts among those after a major downturn last season, in which his reception total plummeted from 90 to 50 catches, his receiving total dipped from 1,229 to 602 yards and his TD production fell from four scores to only two.
Those precipitous declines coincided with the first year of Jeudy’s $52.5 million contract that runs through 2027. Outside of rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in 2025, Jeudy was the best option the Browns ragtag group of quarterbacks had to target, but not so anymore.
Cleveland didn’t just add former Texas A&M wideout KC Concepcion with the No. 24 pick as the fourth WR off the board last month’s draft, the team also watched Denzel Boston of Washington, who also had a first-round grade from most prominent analysts, fall into its lap at No. 39 overall in Round 2.
Those two pass-catchers, along with Fannin, render Jeudy expendable via a trade if the Browns decide to go that route. And while this offseason could arguably be a year too early to move Jeudy, he profiles as a trade chip in 2027 after the team presumably selects a rookie signal-caller high in that year’s QB-rich draft class.
In the meantime, Jeudy’s public sideline spats with current Browns QB and fan favorite Shedeur Sanders last season are a lingering distraction the team doesn’t need as it transitions to a new era under first-time head coach Todd Monken.
Jerry Jeudy’s Contract Easily Tradable for Browns After June 1
GettyWide receiver Jerry Jeudy of the Cleveland Browns.
Despite his downturn in production, Jeudy shouldn’t actually be that difficult to move.
According to Over the Cap, Jeudy is due approximately $10.35 million this year. If the Browns moved him with a post-June 1 trade designation, whatever team traded for the wideout would be on the hook for a little under $4 million, which also represents what Cleveland would save against the salary cap.
The Browns want to improve next season, but there is little incentive to be too good, save for a playoff run. No NFL player is ever going to tank, so dealing a moderately talented playmaker in Jeudy for $4 million and a fifth-round pick in a strong draft class is a three-for-one deal.
Cleveland can save a bit of money, add a meaningful draft asset and limit its offensive upside in 2026 while also allowing more looks for Boston and Concepcion to develop across their rookie campaigns.
Vikings Strong Candidates to Trade for Browns WR Jerry Jeudy
GettyMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
One team that might be willing to fork over an early-to-mid-Day 3 pick next April in return for Jeudy is the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota is strong at the top of the depth chart at WR, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison leading the charge, but the depth of experience and talent falls of precipitously from the No. 3 spot on down.
Dustin Baker of Vikings Territory over the weekend authored a trade pitch in which the team sends Cleveland a fifth-round draft asset in exchange for Jeudy and his ability as a route-runner, which would slot him in well alongside the two top talents in Minnesota.
If Cleveland is open to a trade, Minnesota should pursue the opportunity aggressively,” Baker wrote.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Browns Trade Pitch Flips Polarizing $53 Million Veteran After NFL Draft appeared first on HEAVY.