The Denver Broncos are trading wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns for two draft picks, per Adam Schefter. Jeudy will play 2024 on his fifth-year option unless the Browns decide to re-work his deal and sign him to an extension. The draft picks are reportedly fifth and sixth-round choices in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Denver has decided to release quarterback Russell Wilson at the start of the new league year and will be taking on a hefty dead cap hit in doing so. This move to trade Jeudy helps to clear some of that cap space, as his fifth-year option costs $12.987 million. Both he and his teammate Courtland Sutton have been rumored to be on the trade block, and Jeudy heads to Cleveland, or at least will when the trade becomes official with the new league year.
Jeudy had a lot of eyes on his performance in 2023 as NFL analyst Steve Smith referred to him as just a guy and not the star wide receiver that Jeudy thought he was. The wideout played in 16 games last season and brought in 54 of his 87 targets for 758 yards with only two touchdowns. He often played the No. 2 role behind Sutton and will be able to maintain that with Cleveland slotting in behind Amari Cooper.
Denver, for now at least, still retains Sutton as its leading wide receiver. The cap issues from cutting Wilson are going to limit what the team can do in free agency, and it wouldn’t be surprising for this year to be a rebuilding year for the future as they try to get younger and cheaper contracts on the books. The Broncos brought back free agent wide receiver on a restructured one-year deal. Marvin Mims Jr. will likely be called upon to have a bigger role in the passing game next season, and Denver will likely look to bring in a veteran wide receiver on a cheap one-year deal to provide some depth.
The addition of Jeudy will help the Browns stay competitive offensively in a tough AFC North. The odds could change when the trade becomes official on Wednesday, March 13, with the new league year, but for now, Cleveland has the third-best odds of winning the AFC North at DraftKings Sportsbook installed at +550. They trail the Baltimore Ravens (+110) and Cincinnati Bengals (+160), but are ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers (+1200) in the division race.
