Browns have just over 24 hours to make a big decision on a $52.5 million player
The Cleveland Browns are 5-4 and head into the trade deadline with two straight losses. Is the recent negative outcomes enough for the team to ship away a starter?
The Cleveland Browns have now lost back-to-back games, and the timing isn’t ideal with the NFL trade deadline arriving Tuesday. At 5-4, Cleveland is in an awkward spot where it doesn’t look like a clear buyer or a clear seller.
The Browns could use help in a couple of areas. But at 5-4, it may not make sense to send off draft capital if the team isn’t in position to make a real playoff run down the stretch.
Cleveland has plenty of winnable games left on the schedule. Still, there’s a solid chance the Browns miss the postseason. According to the A to Z Sports NFL Playoff Predictor, the Browns have just a 21 percent chance to make the playoffs after their 23-22 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 9.
If the Browns decide to sell, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy looks like the prime candidate to be moved.
Jerry Jeudy’s role has shrunk in the Browns’ offense
The Browns upgraded their wide receiver room in a major way with KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. That makes Jeudy the third wideout on the depth chart. Once tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is factored in, Jeudy becomes the fourth pass-catching option in the offense.
His production has dipped as a result. Through nine games, Jeudy has 208 receiving yards and is averaging just 23 yards per game.
Jeudy hasn’t put up big numbers, but he has come through in key moments. Cleveland doesn’t beat the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Baltimore Ravens without his big catches in the fourth quarter. Even in the loss to New Orleans, Jeudy hauled in a 30-yard reception to move the chains on a game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.
Browns may lean toward keeping Jeudy
A lot of the chatter around the Browns has suggested they may not trade Jeudy at all. Cleveland might be leaning toward hanging on to the veteran receiver since he’s already under contract for the next couple of seasons.
The Browns signed Jeudy to a $52.5 million extension in March 2024, and he’s under contract through the 2027 season. Any team that trades for him wouldn’t be getting a rental. That team would be getting a receiver who would be on the roster next season as well.
It may take an offer the Browns deem too good to pass up for them to part ways with Jeudy before Tuesday.
What the Browns should do at the trade deadline
There’s no sure word yet on which direction Cleveland goes. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Browns decided to move Jeudy, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they held on to him either.
Jeudy has filled in nicely as the third receiving option, but he’s also a highly paid third receiver. Even if the Browns sneak into the playoffs this season, they aren’t competing for a Super Bowl.
That’s the part of the equation that matters most. If Jeudy isn’t part of the long-term picture in Cleveland, getting something in return for him is what the team should do, as long as the value is right.
The Browns have only just one day to make the final call.
