The Cleveland Browns are set to acquire WR Jerry Jeudy from the Denver Broncos in exchange for 2024 5th and 6th round draft picks. While the deal has been agreed to in principle, it cannot become official until the new league year begins on Wednesday.
Jeudy posted 54 receptions for 758 yards and 2 TDs in 2023 for a Broncos team that struggled through uneven quarterback play for most of the season. Cleveland had previously shown interest in acquiring the 6’1″, 193lbs wideout last season before pivoting to Elijah Moore.
A former first round selection from the 2020 NFL Draft, Jeudy will now join a Browns offence centred around WR Amari Cooper and TE David Njoku. With Nick Chubb expected to be back at some point in 2024, Cleveland suddenly has the makings of a promising offensive unit for the first time in several years.
Largely carried by their defence in recent years, QB Deshaun Watson will now have multiple proven pass catching options at his disposal in the always competitive AFC North. That being said, should the offensive side of the ball fail to click in 2024, the Browns front office will have the ability to move in a new direction fairly seamlessly following the season.
Jeudy will be playing on his 5th year option which was previously picked up by the Broncos. Nick Chubb (if he isn’t cut prior to the start of the season as he continues to recover from a gruesome knee injury) is entering the final season of a 3 year, $36.6M contract signed back in 2021. And wideouts Cooper and Moore will both be playing out the final years of their respective contracts as well.
All in all, Cleveland could effectively reset their cap on offence in 2025 if their current group doesn’t yield the type of on field results that ownership is hoping for.
With Jeudy now in tow, it will be interesting to see what GM Andrew Berry opts to do at the NFL Draft on April 25th. Wide receiver, offensive tackle, and defensive tackle were widely viewed as team needs heading into the offseason. But without a 1st round selection in 2024, the Browns will need to use their draft capital wisely this spring if they hope to repeat or better their 2023 record of 11-6.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
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