Newsstand News & Rumors

Bengals To Cut Joe Mixon, Sign Zack Moss

March 11th, 2024 at 9:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Mixon will not be on the Bengals’ roster when a bonus vests later this week. The Bengals are moving on from their seven-year starting running back, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.

This was a rumored scenario in Cincinnati, with Mixon agreeing to a reworked contract last summer. Cincy is also bringing in a replacement. Zack Moss will be the latest 2023 RB starter to change teams, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the recent Colt will sign a two-year deal to join the Bengals. Moss will head for the AFC North on a two-year, $8MM pact. The Bengals will save $6.1MM by releasing Mixon, who was due a $3MM bonus Saturday.

Mixon came with considerable controversy when the Bengals drafted him — due to a video catching him striking a woman while at Oklahoma, leading to a team-imposed suspension — and a 2023 arrest became a headache for the team. (Mixon was found not guilty on an aggravated menacing charge in August.)

The 27-year-old back has operated as a fixture in Cincinnati’s offense dating back to the Marvin Lewis–Andy Dalton era. But last year’s contract redo — a two-year, $11.5MM pact that significantly reduced Mixon’s pay, after he had signed a four-year, $48MM deal in 2020 — displayed some wall writing for the Bengals, whose roster blueprint is different with Joe Burrow on an NFL-record extension.

The Bengals still leaned on Mixon in 2023, having lost Samaje Perine to the Broncos in free agency. Mixon churned out his fourth 1,000-yard season. In addition to clearing that barrier, Mixon crossed 1,400 scrimmage yards (1,410) for the fourth time. He added 12 touchdowns in what amounted to a lost season due to Burrow’s injury. As the musical chairs spin at this position, Mixon is much shorter on options than he was coming into Monday.

Mixon stood 35 yards away from James Brooks for second in Bengals rushing annals, and while he should have an opportunity in 2024, Cincinnati is moving on. The team will turn to Moss, who is going into his age-26 season. Moss impressed as the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor fill-in last season and will collect a bit of guaranteed money from his new team. The ex-Bills second-rounder will collect $4.5MM in the first year of this Bengals contract. Moss tallied 794 rushing yards and five touchdowns as a Colt last season, adding two receiving scores.

One of the teams to lose a running back today, the Cowboys were also in the mix for Moss. Dallas was not quite willing to go where Cincinnati was, per the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. Whereas Mixon has 1,571 carries on his odometer — more than any back to change teams today — Moss is at just 484. At a position where mileage matters most, the Bengals are rebooting. Moss will join Chase Brown and the recently re-signed Trayveon Williams in Cincinnati’s backfield.

Thus far Monday, 12 teams changed starting running backs. A few clubs still have needs, and Mixon will join Aaron Jones — also released today — and Derrick Henry as big names in search of a new opportunity.

Packers To Release RB Aaron Jones

March 11th, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

In a move which comes as no surprise given Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs deal, Aaron Jones is on the way out. The latter has been informed by the Packers he will be released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move has now officially taken place, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. As such, Jones is free to sign at any time.

The Packers and Jones were able to work out a pay-cut agreement last year, but the sides could not come to terms after recent negotiations. Green Bay may well have wanted Jones to take another cut, having attempted to bring down his cap number recently. Failing to reach a resolution will help bring Josh Jacobs to Wisconsin and send Jones to a market that has seen big movement today. This will not be a post-June 1 cut, per OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald.

Jones accepted a $5MM trim in exchange for 2023 guarantees; that reworking inflated his 2024 cap number to $17.6MM. The Packers did not want to go into free agency with that number on their payroll, so they will sever one of the longest-tenured RB partnerships in franchise history. Jones rewarded the Pack on his four-year, $48MM deal from 2021, and although last season featured multiple injuries, the former fifth-round pick zoomed to five straight 100-yard games to close out the season. That certainly played a major role in the Packers reaching the divisional round, where they pushed the eventual NFC champion 49ers to the brink.

Excelling in the passing game and on the ground, Jones has been one of the NFL’s best backs over the past several seasons. He does join a host of big-name RBs in being released or seeing their pay reduced in recent years. Jones will follow Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook in being cut from an eight-figure-AAV contract over the past year. Other backs — Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Antonio Gibson, Devin Singletary and D’Andre Swift — have found homes already, thinning out the market. But Jones still should have a chance to start somewhere due to his talent.

Jones, 29, made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and totaled 1,500-plus scrimmage yards in 2019 and ’23. He helped a Packers team featuring next to no skill-position experience last season. Jacobs will provide that, but that move comes after GM Brian Gutekunst said he expected Jones to be back in 2024. The team is not expected to re-sign AJ Dillon, leading to a new era in the Green Bay backfield.

Vikings To Sign OLB Jonathan Greenard

March 11th, 2024 at 11:41am CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings had attempted to re-sign Danielle Hunter, but the nine-year Minnesota pass rusher appeared intent on exploring the market. It looks like the Vikings sack ace will be headed elsewhere, as the team is making a big investment at the position.

Jonathan Greenard has a deal in place with the Vikings, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report. The four-year Texans contributor is coming off his best season — a 12.5-sack campaign — and played a key role in Houston making a surprise run to the divisional round. He will cash in as a result.

Minnesota will give Greenard a four-year, $76MM deal that includes $42MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Texans were interested in keeping Greenard, but the team seemed a bit leery about where his market would end up. While it did not quite take a $20MM-AAV deal to land Greenard, the Texans will stand down.

PFR’s free agency rankings slotted Greenard one spot higher than Hunter, despite the latter being a more proven pass rusher. Greenard, however, is three years younger than Hunter. The former third-round pick is set to begin his age-27 season in Minnesota. Hunter will turn 30 later this year.

Greenard is coming off a strong contract year, but he had shown flashes — albeit for off-grid Texans teams in the wake of the Deshaun Watson mess — prior to that 2023 breakthrough. Greenard totaled eight sacks in 2021 but ran into injury trouble in 2022. Shifted to defensive end in DeMeco Ryans‘ system, Greenard led the Texans in sacks last season by a wide margin.

While Will Anderson won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, Greenard served as the team’s top sack artist in 2023. Ranking 20th with 33 quarterback pressures, Greenard smashed his career-high with 22 QB hits. He ranked sixth among edge rushers in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric in 2023. A similar effort will be expected in Minneapolis.

With the Vikings in transition on the edge, they will look to him — in all likelihood — as their No. 1 option next season. The Vikings came into the tampering period with Hunter, Marcus Davenport and D.J. Wonnum unsigned. They exited last season with Davenport and Wonnum on the shelf as well. Brian Flores will soon get to work attempting to mold Greenard into a Pro Bowl-level edge presence.

The youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 sacks, Hunter was a pivotal Vikings defender for much of the Mike Zimmer era and beyond. He used the past two seasons to bounce back, and while the Vikings held onto the former third-rounder at last year’s trade deadline, the sides’ August contract reworking prevented them from using the franchise tag. As it stands, Hunter appears set to depart the Twin Cities after one of the best runs by a pass rusher in the team’s modern history.

Colts, WR Michael Pittman Jr. Finalizing Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Adam La Rose

Michael Pittman Jr.‘s immediate future was already assured given the Colts’ decision to place the franchise tag on him. The team’s top wideout could be in place well beyond 2024, however, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the sides are working on a long-term deal which could be finalized today.

Providing financial details on the agreement, Rapoport notes it will be a three-year deal with a base value of $70MM. $46MM of that total is guaranteed, and Pittman could earn up to $71.5MM. This accord will take the place of his $21.8MM franchise tag.

Pittman represented an obvious candidate for a new Colts deal given his importance to the team’s passing game. The 26-year-old saw his target share increase in each of his four seasons in the NFL, and that figure has comfortably reached triple-digits every year since 2021. He topped 1,000 receiving yards that year and again in 2023, but his number have pointed to good-not-great production in the eyes of many. Paying out a one-year tender (via the tag) at an average of the top-five receiver earners was thus seen as challenging for the team.

Instead, that situation has now been avoided with a multi-year pact, albeit one which will increase Pittman’s AAV. This new deal will bring an average of $23.3MM, a figure which ranks eighth in the league amongst wideouts and outpaces the value of the tag. The Colts are banking on continued development while also getting ahead of the next wave of WR deals. Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk are among the up-and-coming producers at the position in line for monster extensions as early as this offseason. They could each move past Pittman on their respective accords.

Indianapolis has made multiple draft investments in recent years in a bid to find other cost-effective wideouts to complement Pittman. That effort has included using a second-round pick on Alec Pierce in 2022 and a third-rounder on Josh Downs last April. No pass-catcher has matched Pittman’s importance to the Colts’ offense, however, and the USC product will remain a focal point moving forward. He, along with quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor will comprise the backbone of Indianapolis’ offense in 2024 and beyond.

The Colts will still have plenty of spending power for the offseason; this extension will likely lower Pittman’s 2024 cap number despite the AAV coming in at a higher rate than the franchise tag. More moves involving offensive playmakers could be coming, but the team’s top internal priority has now been taken care of.

Eagles Extend G Landon Dickerson

March 11th, 2024 at 10:09am CST by Sam Robinson

Well known for long-term O-line planning during Howie Roseman‘s second run as the team’s top decision-maker, the Eagles will make another such reinvestment. They are extending Landon Dickerson.

The Eagles are giving their Pro Bowl left guard a four-year deal, according to a team announcement. Dickerson’s rookie contract runs through 2024, with this extension running through 2028. Showing the Eagles’ commitment here, Dickerson has only been extension-eligible since January.

This is new guard-record money. Dickerson signed an $84MM deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds the contract can max out at $87MM. The former Alabama and Florida State blocker will receive $50MM guaranteed. At $21MM per year, Dickerson is now tied to the top AAV in guard history. This surpasses Chris Lindstrom‘s $20.5MM-per-year pact, which the Falcons authorized just before last year’s legal tampering period began.

Jason Kelce‘s retirement will test the Eagles, who once had Dickerson in line as a potential center heir apparent. The team liked what it saw of Dickerson at guard as rookie, however, and he has remained there since. The Eagles drafted Jurgens in the 2022 second round and installed him as the Kelce successor. That will give the Eagles a decision to make at right guard; with Dickerson locked in, it appears LG is shored up for a while.

Dickerson, 25, has started 46 of the 47 games he has played since the Eagles drafted him 37th overall in 2021. The team had seen Isaac Seumalo struggle with injuries in 2020 and 2021, and Dickerson brought some stability as Nick Sirianni shifted to a run-heavy attack around Jalen Hurts three years ago. Dickerson has been central to the team’s run game since, with Miles Sanders and D’Andre Swift posting 1,000-yard Pro Bowl seasons in back-to-back years. Various Brotherly Shove efforts have featured pivotal Dickerson work as well.

Dickerson has proven deserving of a big-ticket contract, booking two straight Pro Bowl nods. ESPN graded Dickerson as a dominant blocker in 2022, slotting him first in run block win rate and second in pass block success. He repeated as that metric’s run-blocking leader last year. Pro Football Focus has graded Dickerson as a top-20 guard in each of the past two seasons.

The Eagles now have three O-line starters signed to veteran deals, with Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata locked in beyond 2024. Jurgens’ rookie deal also runs through 2025.

Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

Baker Mayfield will not reach free agency. The Buccaneers’ efforts to retain their starting quarterback have produced a lucrative new pact. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the sides are finalizing a three-year, $100MM contract featuring $50MM guaranteed.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds this pact -which the team has since confirmed – could reach a maximum value of $115MM. Even if that does not take place, this new deal marks a massive raise for the former No. 1 pick in his bid to cash in following his successful debut Bucs campaign and find stability in the process. After playing in Tampa on a one-year, $4MM deal last year, Mayfield has certainly accomplished that goal.

Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero notes Mayfield’s $30MM salary in 2024 is guaranteed in full. $10MM in 2025 is guaranteed at signing, meanwhile, and a further $10MM comes in the form of an injury guarantee which is set to vest next year. The 28-year-old will see $40MM in 2026, and he can earn $5MM in incentives every year of the pact, per Schefter.

Mayfield easily surpassed expectations after winning out a training camp competition with Kyle Trask in the summer. Mayfield posted career highs in passing yards (4,044) and touchdowns (28) last season. His play helped lead the team to another NFC South title and a run to the divisional round of the postseason. Aiming to retain several main elements of their core, the Buccaneers faced the challenge of keeping Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. in the fold.

Evans landed a two-year accord after being linked to a free agency endeavor. Winfield, meanwhile, has received the franchise tag and as such will either play out the 2024 season on the tag or agree to his own long-term deal. Mayfield will join that tandem for next year and beyond as he looks to prove his first performance in Tampa Bay was not a fluke.

The Browns’ Deshaun Watson acquisition facilitated Mayfield being traded to the Panthers in 2022. His time in Carolina was short-lived, however, and his struggles led to a release and a late-season cameo with the Rams. The Oklahoma product parlayed that into a flier from Tampa Bay under new offensive coordinator Dave Canales. The latter has since departed (to take over the Panthers as head coach), but Mayfield was involved in the search for Canales’ replacement. That pointed to the player-team relationship being extended, and sustained talks in recent days has brought an deal together.

General manager Jason Licht confirmed the Bucs’ intention of keeping Mayfield in the fold, which has at all times been the expected outcome of this situation. Mayfield’s asking price was pegged as approaching (or perhaps surpassing) $40MM per year, and the base value of the pact falls short at $33.3MM. Maximizing its value would create an AAV of $38.3MM, though, a figure which represents legitimate franchise passer compensation and by far the most lucrative deal of Mayfield’s career.

Of course, the ripple effect of today’s news will be felt around the league. Mayfield was projected to be the second-best quarterback on the market, behind only Kirk Cousins. Many teams which could be suitors for the latter were connected to the former as a backup plan, but attention will now shift even further to Cousins and Minnesota. A new Vikings deal could come to bear in the immediate future; failing that, however, teams such as the Falcons will be able to negotiate a Cousins pact knowing Mayfield is not an option.

Tampa Bay entered Sunday with less than $15MM in cap space, a figure which will be affected by the particulars of the Mayfield deal. The Bucs are not expected to be big players on the open market with respect to outside additions considering their financial situation. Retaining each member of the Mayfield-Evans-Winfield trio was atop the offseason priority list, though, and it has now been achieved. Mayfield’s ability to replicate his 2023 success will be a major talking point for the Buccaneers next season and beyond given the investment made in him by the team.

Jaguars To Acquire Mac Jones From Patriots

March 10th, 2024 at 10:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots have agreed to trade quarterback Mac Jones to the Jaguars, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Although the deal cannot be finalized until the new league year opens on Wednesday and until Jones passes a physical, it appears that Jones — a Jacksonville native — will try to resurrect his career in his hometown.

Schefter reported that New England and Jacksonville were discussing a sixth-round pick as trade compensation, and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network confirms that a sixth-round choice (No. 192 overall) is the official return for Jones. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says four teams were in the mix for the Alabama product, though Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports says that, as of yesterday, the Jags were the only club to make an offer. Albert Breer of SI.com adds that New England was seeking a fifth-rounder before ultimately settling for the sixth.

A report from late last month suggested that the Patriots had a three-step plan in place for addressing their quarterback situation this offseason, and trading Mac Jones was one of those three steps. While there was some pushback on the notion that New England had developed some sort of QB flowchart that had been distributed throughout the organization, it has seemed clear for some time that the club would seek a Jones trade, which would represent a beneficial change of scenery for both player and team. Now, the Pats can focus on adding a veteran to their roster and/or acquiring a top collegiate prospect in the draft. The most recent rumors on the draft front have indicated that if Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels are off the board by the time New England is on the clock with the No. 3 pick, the club will trade back.

While Jones is obviously not a threat to unseat Trevor Lawrence as the Jaguars’ starting quarterback, he will have an opportunity to regain his footing while working with Lawrence — whom he has known for years, as the two frequently competed against each other in high school recruiting camps — and head coach Doug Pederson, a celebrated quarterback whisperer. Jones, the Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021, clearly has potential that may have been stunted by the Patriots’ coaching and schematic maneuvers in 2022, and as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, Pederson & Co. will try to unlock some of that potential and at least turn Jones into a viable backup.

Another factor in the trade is the health of current backup C.J. Beathard, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler details. Per Fowler, Beathard has been “banged up,” so the Jones acquisition gives the Jags a healthy QB2 option. The nature and extent of Beathard’s injury is unclear, and so is his future with the club at this point, though ESPN’s Mike Reiss says Jones and Beathard are expected to compete for the backup job.

The Jaguars will still have a sixth-round compensatory choice (No. 212 overall) in the 2024 draft.

Eagles DT Fletcher Cox To Retire

March 10th, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Adam La Rose

We heard last week that longtime Eagles DT Fletcher Cox was widely expected to retire. Cox is following through on that decision, announcing on his Instagram page that he is hanging up the cleats (via Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network).

Cox, 33, joins center Jason Kelce as a member of Philadelphia’s storied ‘Core Four’ who will not be in place moving forward. Cox will end his Eagles tenure ranked third in franchise history in games played behind only Kelce and defensive end Brandon Graham. The latter is working on a new deal, but Cox’s absence will still leave a major vacancy along the defensive line.

The former first-rounder spent his entire 12-year career in Philadelphia, although in recent seasons he faced a relatively uncertain future. Cox was released in 2022 before re-joining the team on a less expensive contract. The following year, he fielded outside offers before electing to sign another one-year pact with the Eagles. Cox turned down more money in doing so, and over the course of the 2023 campaign he remained a full-time starter along the interior.

The Mississippi State alum notched five sacks last season, adding to his consistent production in that regard throughout his decorated career. Cox reached the double-digit sack mark only once (in 2018), but he was a Pro Bowler six consecutive times in a stretch from 2015-20. He earned second-team All-Pro honors three times, along with a first-team inclusion in 2018. Cox’s decorated resume includes a spot on the 2010s All-Decade team.

A major contributor to the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2017 as well as the one which reached the title game in 2022, Cox will leave the game with a championship ring and a reputation as one of the top defensive linemen of his generation. Replacing him will be a tall order, though the Eagles have prepared for this news in recent offseasons by selecting Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter in the first round of the past two drafts. That duo will face increased expectations in 2024 and beyond.

“I gave everything I had to this team and to this city,” Cox’s announcement reads in part. “I don’t know what’s next for me, but I do know that I’m forever grateful for my time here in Philadelphia and with the Eagles organization.”

Cox continued to land eight-figure deals after the conclusion of his rookie pact, highlighted by his 2016 extension. That six-year, $102.6MM deal allowed him to build much of his illustrious Philadelphia tenure while adding considerably to his financial success in the NFL. In all, Cox will depart with more than $128MM in career earnings.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Chiefs, Chris Jones Agree To Extension

March 9th, 2024 at 11:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chris Jones will not be reaching the market. The three-time Chiefs Super Bowl winning defensive tackle has been retained on a monster extension, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal is five years in length and includes a staggering $95MM in guaranteed money, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.

Jones’ agency has since confirmed the move, which will ensure his Kansas City tenure continues and add considerably to his career earnings. The five-time Pro Bowler was on track to be the top prize amongst defenders in free agency, but the Chiefs made consistent efforts recently to retain him. That has now taken place, with the agreement shattering the record for guaranteed compensation at the D-tackle spot.

Schefter clarifies Jones will receive the $95MM figure – which is guaranteed – over the first three years of the pact. That $31.67MM average matches the AAV mark set by Aaron Donald on his historic Rams extension, but it far outpaces the $46.5MM guaranteed which Donald’s deal includes. The deal is still being ironed out, per Schefter, but once finalized it will move Jones to the top of the DT pecking order.

The 29-year-old had been seeking a deal in the $30MM-per-year range, and he has indeed landed it. Jones was always Kansas City’s top free agent priority, despite a younger defensive stalwart (cornerback L’Jarius Sneed) also being in need of a new deal. The latter has been franchise-tagged, but it remains to be seen if he will be retained or traded to avoid a 2025 free agent departure. Regardless of what happens in the team’s secondary, Kansas City’s defensive front will remain strong given Jones’ continued presence.

Earning first-team All-Pro honors in each of the past two seasons, Jones has not slowed. The Mississippi State product has totaled 26 sacks over the that span in the regular season, adding 2.5 in the postseason. Game-changing plays in the playoffs have remained a fixture for Jones, as he as contributed immensely to the Chiefs’ dynasty construction. Given his durability (multiple missed games in only two seasons), a long-term investment could be less risky from the team’s perspective than most others with players his age.

Kansas City has seen head coach Andy Reid commit to playing at least one more season (and likely more) in an offseason after Patrick Mahomes had his own mega-deal restructured. Jones agreeing to a re-up means all three pillars of the Chiefs’ core will be intact moving forward. In the latter’s case, it comes with the added benefit of avoiding a repeat of the holdout which began the 2023 regular season.

Jones remained out of the lineup through Week 1 this past campaign, missing out on a game check in addition to fines incurred from missed training camp time. He and the team worked out a one-year deal laden with incentives, but hammering out another multi-year pact was an obvious priority for team and player. Working one out before free agency was the expectation of many around the league, and to no surprise Jones has landed a raise from the four-year, $80MM pact he inked in 2020.

As of Saturday, the two-time defending champions sat at just $1.2MM in cap space, a figure which of course did not include Jones given his pending free agency (although he will account for $3.4MM in dead money with his previous deal already having voided). The structure of the guaranteed payouts – along with whatever compensation is included in Years 4 and 5 – will be interesting given the importance of Kansas City maintaining cap flexibility in the immediate future.

The team is expected to devote finances to the offensive side of the ball (aside from this historic Jones agreement, of course) this offseason. That comes as no surprise given Kansas City’s inconsistency relative to its defense in 2023. Jones will remain an anchor of DC Steve Spagnuolo‘s unit for the foreseeable future, though, something which will have a ripple effect around the league next week.

Jones coming off the board leaves a major vacancy at the top of the DT market. Christian Wilkins is now positioned as the best player at the position on track to land a deal with an outside suitor. In the short term in Wilkins’ case, as well as the long term given the upward financial trajectory along the defensive interior, this Jones deal will keep moving the bar higher in terms of both annual and guaranteed compensation.

Broncos Trading WR Jerry Jeudy To Browns

March 9th, 2024 at 11:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Jerry Jeudy is heading to Cleveland. The Browns and Broncos have agreed to a deal for the wide receiver, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Denver will receive 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks from Cleveland, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The deal will become official on Wednesday.

Jeudy has seemingly been involved in trade talks for more than a year, and we heard that the Broncos were actively fielding offers for the receiver prior to the trade deadline. Schefter notes that the Browns were among the teams that made a run at Jeudy last season, with NFL Network’s James Palmer noting that Cleveland’s front office previously thought the price was too high. The Broncos apparently reduced their demands, leading to today’s agreement.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the front office recently indicated that they were “warming up” to trading Jeudy (and, at the same time, presumably dropping their asking price). According to Fowler, the Jets and Patriots were among the teams that also expressed interest in the receiver before he was dealt to the Browns.

The former first-round pick never developed into a top-end receiver during his time in Denver, although that was partly due to inconsistent play from the quarterback position. Jeudy followed up a solid rookie season with a disappointing sophomore campaign, but he seemed to bounce back in 2022. Jeudy finished that season with 67 catches for 972 yards and six touchdowns, leading to the Broncos picking up his fifth-year option.

However, after emerging as a trade candidate in 2022, the talks picked up steam in 2023. Jeudy was constantly mentioned alongside teammate Courtland Sutton in trade rumors, but the Broncos ultimately decided to hang on to both of their top receivers. Jeudy wasn’t able to follow up on his promising 2022 campaign, as the wideout finished 2023 with 54 catches for 758 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (11 starts). He finished the season ranked 62nd on Pro Football Focus’ ranking of 128 qualifying wideouts.

With the Broncos moving on from Russell Wilson, the organization will be featuring a new-look offense in 2024. That divorce probably contributed to the organization’s decision to finally rip off the Jeudy band aid, but there were also financial reasons to move on from the former first-round wideout. The cash-strapped Broncos will clear around $13MM with the trade, as Jeudy’s fifth-year option was fully guaranteed.

Focus will now shift to Sutton, who will likely continue to be on the trade block. Marvin Mims will also be eyeing a larger role heading into 2024. As Palmer notes, Sean Payton has made it clear that he wants the 2023 second-round pick on the field, but the coach believed the wideout was being blocked on the depth chart by Jeudy. This trade should clear Mims up for a significant role next season.

Jeudy will now look to rehabilitate his value in Cleveland before hitting free agency next offseason. With the Browns having made a massive commitment to Deshaun Watson, Cleveland’s front office has done everything in their power to surround the QB with intriguing targets.

The team first traded a fifth-round pick to have Amari Cooper lead their depth chart, and they later swapped a second-round pick for a third-round pick in order to acquire Elijah Moore. The organization has once again looked to add a target without giving up significant draft capital, although their offensive hopes will still depend on Watson’s ability to return to his previous form.

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