Starting cornerback Greg Newsome II had a solid 2023 season for the Cleveland Browns, and there was a sense that his future was relatively secure with the team.
But right now, there are rumors that the Browns are at least open to trading him.
The Detroit Lions are one team that has emerged as a possible target, and there could be others, as Newsome will turn just 24 years of age in May.
ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi said trading Newsome could be a good idea.
Could Greg Newsome be traded this offseason? @TonyGrossi thinks there's a legit chance…. pic.twitter.com/GfRtXn5cLQ
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) March 8, 2024
Grossi cited Newsome’s limited ceiling, the fact that Cleveland has someone to take over his starting spot in Cameron Mitchell, and the fact that Cleveland will soon have to pay Newsome if they don’t trade him.
Newsome will be going into the final year of his rookie contract in 2024, and while he has a fifth-year option available, he will soon be due for an extension.
As Grossi said, a team’s third-best corner shouldn’t be paid $13 million a year, which is how much Newsome’s fifth-year option would cost, per spotrac.com.
He had 49 tackles (34 solo), 14 passes defended, four tackles for loss, and two interceptions in 2023, all of which were career highs.
After many years of being a laughingstock, the Browns managed to make the playoffs with an 11-6 record despite season-ending injuries to Nick Chubb and Deshaun Watson, and they did so by forging an identity as a team that wins with defense.
Whether or not Newsome is a member of the team this fall, the challenge will be to retain that identity and win only their second playoff game since the mid-1990s.
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