Jerry Jeudy

Woody Johnson Vetoed Jets’ Trade For Jerry Jeudy Due To Madden Rating

December 19th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Most leaders use information and data from a wide variety of sources to drive their decision-making process. For Jets owner Woody Johnson, that apparently includes his video games and his teenage sons.

It came out after the firing of general manager Joe Douglas that Johnson vetoed the Jets’ acquisition of Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in exchange for Allen Lazard and a Day 2 pick. A month later, the reason for Johnson’s resistance was revealed (via The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, Dianna Russini and Michael Silver): Jeudy’s rating in EA Sports’ popular Madden video game series.

Jeudy started the 2023 season with an 83 rating in Madden 24 and dropped to an 81 by the offseason, when the trade was being negotiated. (Lazard, meanwhile, began the season at 78 and finished at 76.) This being a method of Jets operation this season would not exactly make working for Johnson especially appealing for HC and GM candidates moving forward, but the owner has made his voice known on several occasions this year. And he is not expected to leave for a role in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration in 2025.

In terms of real-life football, Jeudy was clearly the more productive receiver last year with 54 receptions on 87 targets for 758 yards (3.4 receptions and 47.4 yards per game). Lazard reeled in just 23 of his 49 targets for 311 yards (1.6 receptions and 22.2 yards per game). Lazard has been more effective this year, catching 31 of his 49 targets for 430 yards and five touchdowns, but Jeudy has been even better after being traded to the Browns with career-highs of 70 receptions and 1,052 yards.

The Broncos were believed to have been stunned why the trade talks broke down, as the teams were believed to have been deep in negotiations. Douglas is believed to have told Broncos brass of Johnson’s Madden-based reason for bailing on the trade, per Russini, Rosenblatt and Silver. Denver ended up flipping Jeudy for a lesser return — fifth- and sixth-round picks. The Jets ended up signing Mike Williams to a one-year, $10MM deal — months before unloading him at the deadline.

This is not the only time that a video game has influenced Johnson’s personnel desires. He also “pushed back on signing free-agent guard John Simpson due to a lackluster ‘awareness’ rating in Madden,” per The Athletic. Douglas signed Simpson to a two-year, $18MM deal anyway, and the veteran lineman has quietly earned the eighth-highest grade among NFL guards from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) with a $12MM valuation from OverTheCap for his play this year.

Jets executives have pointed to Johnson’s Madden obsession as evidence of disproportionate influence from his sons, Brick and Jack. They began sitting in on team meetings last year and frequently share posts and articles from social media with their father that are weighed against the advice of the Jets’ decision-makers. “I answer to teenagers,” said Douglas before the season, according to The Athletic.

Johnson’s sons have even violated the traditional sanctity of the Jets’ locker room, bringing friends and openly airing their criticism of the team. Brick Johnson even pre-empted Aaron Rodgers after the Jets’ Halloween win, their first after firing Robert Saleh four weeks prior. Rodgers intended to give a customary game ball to Jeff Ulbrich for his first victory as a head coach. Instead, Brick Johnson jumped into give a game ball to Garrett Wilson – complete with a profanity-laden exclamation for social media – and Woody Johnson took Rodgers’ ball to give to Ulbrich himself. One player called it “the most awkward, cringe-worthy, brutal experience.”

Even for a Jets team that has received a torrent of criticism, this would be new territory. Woody Johnson fired Saleh without going to Douglas and effectively stripped power from his GM this year, predictably preceding Douglas’ ouster weeks later. The owner has entrusted ex-GMs Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman to run the team’s HC search, though the owner obviously has the final call. Today’s revelations add a bizarre chapter to what has been one of the more eventful Jets years; this report coming as the team is conducting searches only adds to the strangeness surrounding this organization.

Broncos Planned To Trade Jerry Jeudy Regardless Of WR’s Request

December 3rd, 2024 at 12:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Preying on a Broncos team that sorely missed its No. 2 cornerback (Riley Moss) during a historic revenge game, Jerry Jeudy‘s return to Denver went quite well — for the wide receiver, at least. Although the Browns were unable to hold on for an upset win, the fifth-year wideout’s 235-yard performance marked the most receiving yards anyone has compiled against a former team.

The Broncos sent Jeudy to the Browns for fifth- and sixth-round picks in March, cutting the cord after the talented but unreliable receiver had come up in trade rumors since the 2022 deadline. Jeudy said later in the offseason he requested to be dealt, but the Denver Post’s Troy Renck indicates the Broncos would have moved on regardless of the WR’s wishes.

Denver dropped its asking price considerably from 2023 to ’24. The team had hoped for a first-round pick in exchange for the wideout during the 2023 offseason, setting a second-round asking price for Courtland Sutton last year as well. The best offer that came in for Jeudy last year involved a package believed to include third- and fifth-round picks. The Broncos fielded that at the 2023 deadline but stood pat, doing so despite sitting 3-5 at the time.

Denver was midway through a five-game win streak at that point, and the team did not opt to sell. That midseason recovery (after a 1-5 start) dropped the Broncos out of the Caleb Williams–Jayden Daniels–Drake Maye sweepstakes, but the team has seen immediate promise from No. 12 choice Bo Nix, who has launched an Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign despite a receiving corps that has seen a drop-off from Jeudy at WR2.

Drafted during John Elway‘s final year at the controls, Jeudy showed high-end route-running chops but struggled to make a consistent impact in Denver. He topped out at 972 receiving yards in a season — a 2022 campaign that featured a wildly disappointing Russell Wilson–Nathaniel Hackett partnership. Much of Jeudy’s consistency issues can be traced to quarterback problems the Broncos experienced during the Alabama alum’s tenure. Jeudy said as much last week before lighting up a Moss-less secondary, albeit not faring especially well against Patrick Surtain when the two matched up. Jeudy (880 yards, three TDs) is on track for his first 1,000-yard season, one restrained early by the Browns’ refusal to bench Deshaun Watson despite woeful play.

The Broncos also may have received a better offer than what the Browns proposed this offseason, as the Jets are believed to have proposed a deal including a Day 2 pick for Jeudy, who was heading into his fifth-year option season at the time. During an offseason in which Woody Johnson is believed to have impeded then-GM Joe Douglas on a few occasions, the Jets owner reportedly nixed the AFC East team’s proposal. That led to the Broncos selling low, and the Browns now have Jeudy on what looks like a team-friendly contract. Days after the trade, Cleveland gave Jeudy a three-year, $52.5MM deal that came with $41MM fully guaranteed.

Jeudy’s issues in Denver aside, the team would appear to have finally found a quarterback capable of meshing with his skillset. The Nix-Jeudy partnership never was, of course. The Broncos opted to move on early — rather than wait to see how their QB plan shook out — by trading Jeudy before free agency and then assembled a low-cost WR corps alongside Sutton.

The Broncos have seen seventh-round rookie Devaughn Vele show early promise, with ex-Nix Oregon teammate Troy Franklin also integrated into the offense. The team added Josh Reynolds on a two-year, $9MM deal but saw him land on IR with a finger injury; Reynolds suffered minor injuries in a shooting soon after. The team had hoped Marvin Mims would rise into the Jeudy role, but the 2023 second-round pick has been more gadget player than regular starter. That said, Mims has displayed recent improvement — as evidenced most recently by his 93-yard score Monday night.

It can be argued the Broncos would have been wise to give Jeudy another chance, but the relationship had certainly soured by then. The Browns traded Amari Cooper in October, clearing the way for Jeudy to be their lead wideout to close this season. Denver will likely seek to upgrade its pass-catching group this offseason, as Sutton — who joined Jeudy as a trade-rumor mainstay — is 29 and set for a 2025 contract year while Vele is one of the older rookies in recent NFL history; the Utah alum will turn 27 this month.

Woody Johnson Nixed Jets Effort To Acquire Jerry Jeudy, Impeded Joe Douglas On Bryce Huff, Haason Reddick

November 20th, 2024 at 10:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are barreling toward their 14th straight season wrapping without a playoff berth, and their Robert Saleh-Joe Douglas regime’s unraveling points to ownership having a more difficult time filling its HC and GM positions come 2025.

Woody Johnson‘s meddling has become an issue for the Jets. The longtime owner admitted he went around Douglas to fire Saleh, something that led to the sixth-year GM losing power during his final weeks on the job. Other Jets power brokers led the way in the Davante Adams trade and Haason Reddick resolution talks. Earlier this year, however, Johnson stood as a roadblock to Douglas’ efforts to improve the team’s roster in other ways.

We heard in March the Jets joined the Browns and Patriots in pursuing Jerry Jeudy. The then-Broncos wide receiver, a trade-block staple alongside ex-teammate Courtland Sutton, went to Cleveland for fifth- and sixth-round picks. Denver may well have obtained more for the former first-round pick had Douglas gotten his way.

The Jets are believed to have offered a Day 2 pick and Allen Lazard — a 2023 Broncos target — for Jeudy, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt, only to see Johnson nix any potential deal. Jeudy going into his age-25 season intrigued the Jets, who aimed to avoid aging players in this year’s free agency (subscription required). That did not end up happening, as Tyron Smith and Mike Williams joined trade pickup Morgan Moses in joining the Jets in March.

It would have been interesting if the Broncos were willing to acquire Lazard, who was still owed a fully guaranteed base salary ($10MM) this year. Lazard underwhelmed after receiving $22MM guaranteed at signing in 2023. Denver did end up giving Josh Reynolds a two-year, $9MM deal; Lazard would have been costlier. Jeudy, who would have joined Garrett Wilson and potentially affected the Jets’ interest in Adams, has since signed a Browns extension.

Weeks later, Douglas signed off on acquiring Reddick despite warnings from his camp the Jets should not trade for the talented edge rusher unless they wanted to extend him. As it turns out, Douglas appeared more open to an extension than he initially let on. Reddick had expressed frustration with the Jets, believing they would revisit extension talks. Douglas may well have been onboard here, per The Athletic, which attributes the resistance to extending the then-29-year-old EDGE to Johnson. Even as Johnson helped bring Reddick into the fold in October, he certainly looks to have prevented his then-GM from extending him this offseason.

Before the Jets zeroed in on Reddick, they let Bryce Huff walk. Huff joined the Eagles on a three-year, $51MM deal, but if Douglas had his way, the team may have made a stronger effort to re-sign the team’s 2023 sack leader. Johnson is believed to have blocked his GM from making an extension offer to Huff, whom many teams pursued once the Jets let him hit the market. We heard in early February no offer had come. This came months after Johnson is believed to have restricted his GM from making a stronger effort to replace Aaron Rodgers once the QB suffered an Achilles tear.

Johnson also drove an effort to have safety Tony Adams benched in Week 11, with Russini and Rosenblatt reinforcing the notion the owner has placed too much stock in social media assessments of his team. Rumblings recently pointed to Johnson listening to too many non-football staffers in making decisions. This offseason also featured multiple high-ranking Jets football ops staffers dismissed, with assistant GM Rex Hogan being fired and then player personnel director Chad Alexander becoming the Chargers’ assistant GM. Johnson prevented Douglas from replacing either staffer, Russini and Rosenblatt add. (For what it’s worth, some in the organization believed Hogan had been responsible for many leaks; though, a flood of leaks have come out in the months since.) The owner’s actions led Douglas to tell some remaining Jets staffers Johnson “should just fire me now.”

Also believed to have pushed for the Jets to bench Rodgers after the team’s Week 4 loss to the Broncos — to the point one coach, per The Athletic, asked if the owner was serious — Johnson will have a lot to answer for after this wildly disappointing Jets season.

The Jets are expected to part with Rodgers, whom coaches feared would be embarrassed had Johnson gotten his way with the benching request. After all, Johnson played a key role in Rodgers agreeing to put off retirement and agree to a Jets trade last year. Sitting him for Tyrod Taylor so early in his Achilles comeback would have been one of the more shocking developments in recent NFL history.

This increased meddling will not make it easier for the owner to find quality GM and HC options in 2025, but even as the former ambassador to the United Kingdom is in the mix to reclaim that post under the second Donald Trump administration (a move that would again leave Christopher Johnson as acting owner), Woody Johnson is set to lead the Jets’ searches to replace Saleh and Douglas.

Browns WR Jerry Jeudy Requested Trade From Broncos

August 6th, 2024 at 9:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

When Jerry Jeudy was dealt to the Browns in March, the move ended long-running speculation about his future in Denver. When reflecting on the process which brought him to Cleveland, the fifth-year receiver said he asked to be dealt on two separate occasions.

“It didn’t come out of the blue at all,’ Jeudy confirmed in an interview with Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. “I’m the one that decided that. I made the decision to come [to Cleveland] and I’m excited with my decision… I actually came up to [the Broncos] and asked that I wanted a new atmosphere, a new change of scenery. I just wanted to go somewhere else and have a new feel and a new atmosphere.”

The 25-year-old said he initially asked head coach Sean Payton for a trade at the start of the 2023 season, Payton’s first in Denver. That was shut down, allowing Jeudy to play a fourth campaign with the Broncos. He posted a 54-758-2 statline, production which fell short of his career-best season the year before. After receiving interest from a number of teams, Denver went ahead with a trade, sending Jeudy to the Browns for 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks.

Once that deal became official at the start of the new league year, Jeudy inked a three-year extension including $41MM guaranteed and a total value of $52.5MM. The Alabama product was aware of the Browns’ previous interest in acquiring him, and while Jeudy acknowledged other teams were in contention to land him he did not offer specifics. He is hopeful the change of scenery will allow him to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, something which could happen with an increase in usage in Cleveland compared to Denver.

“I wouldn’t just say it was Payton’s system,’ Jeudy said about his target share with the Broncos. “It’s just a lot for a receiver. You need everything to come together and connect all at once to be able to get the ball a lot.”

Jeudy currently sits second on the Browns’ receiver depth chart behind Amari Cooper. The latter recently had incentives added to his contract, which is still set to expire after the 2024 campaign. Cooper could be part of a package Cleveland sends to San Francisco for Brandon Aiyuk, but until anything tangible happens on that front he will remain the team’s top receiving option. Jeudy will spend the rest of training camp preparing for his first Browns campaign after having his request for a fresh start granted.

Latest On Browns’ WR Corps

July 10th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will be throwing to a lot of the same targets in 2024 that he did last year, but the single addition of a player like Jerry Jeudy largely changes the outlook of that group. The acquisition of Jeudy solidifies Cleveland’s starting group, but some questions still remain further down the depth chart.

Amari Cooper did Amari Cooper things last year, and though he only reached the endzone five times, he put up a career high in receiving yards with 1,250. Former Jets second-round pick Elijah Moore benefitted from a change of scenery last year. Like Cooper, Moore put up a career-high 640 yards, though he only scored twice. Then, the room adds Jeudy, who has mostly failed to live up to his first-round draft stock over his four-year stint in Denver. His best year saw him catch 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns, and if he can reach those peaks again, the top line of the receiving corps is in good shape.

Behind the likely starters, Cedric Tillman, David Bell, and James Proche return from last year. All three players were given opportunities to start following the trade of Donovan Peoples-Jones, but it was the rookie, Tillman, who showed the most growth and promise near the end of the year. According to Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, those efforts and a strong spring in the absence of Cooper and Jeudy have likely secured Tillman in the WR4 position.

Bell and Proche, on the other hand, will likely join Michael Woods and rookie fifth-round pick Jamari Thrash, among a number of other names, for the remaining roster spots. Bell is likely safe. Though his yardage and target shares decreased last year from his rookie season, Bell finished second in the room last year with three touchdowns. Proche didn’t have any catches in 10 games with the team last year but became the team’s primary punt returner after the departure of Peoples-Jones. Proche’s special teams prowess helps his case, but he may need to show more on offense to earn a roster spot this year.

Thrash is perhaps the next most likely to keep a job as a recent draft pick. After a stellar 2022 campaign with Georgia State that saw him catch 61 balls for 1,122 yards and seven scores, Thrash transferred to Louisville and led the team by far in receptions (63), receiving yards (858), and receiving touchdowns (6). Woods, a sixth-round pick from 2022, faces longer odds after missing all of last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon and receiving a six-game suspension for personal conduct. Behind them, players like Jaelon Darden, Jalen Camp, Matt Landers, and Ahmarean Brown make up the rest of the room competing for roster spots.

With Cooper, Jeudy, and Moore locked in as starters and Tillman seemingly the favorite as the first off the bench, there’s a remaining one to three spots on the roster, depending on the team’s preferences. A combination of Bell, Proche, and Thrash feels like the most likely outcome, but strong training camp performances from any of the others, or poor camps from any of those three, have the potential to shake things up a bit in Cleveland.

AFC Contract Details: Titans, Jeudy, Browns, Brown, Bengals, Broncos, Bills, Jets, Texans

March 27th, 2024 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are contract details from some of the latest deals agreed to around the league.

Calvin Ridley, WR (Titans). Four years, $92MM. In addition to his $20MM signing bonus, Ridley will see his first two base salaries ($4.5MM, $22,5MM) fully guaranteed. If on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, Ridley will receive a $3.02MM guarantee for his 2026 base salary ($20.24MM), per OverTheCap. If Ridley remains on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, he will earn a $1MM bonus. This still stands to give the Titans some 2026 flexibility.
Jerry Jeudy, WR (Browns). Three years, $52.5MM. The recently traded wideout’s base value, as expected, checks in lower than the initial numbers. The ex-Denver target will see guarantees into his the deal’s third year, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting $6MM will be guaranteed for 2026. Jeudy received $41MM guaranteed at signing.
Curtis Samuel, WR (Bills). Three years, $24MM. The Bills are guaranteeing $5MM of Samuel’s $6.91MM 2025 base salary at signing. The entire ’25 base is guaranteed for injury, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Samuel will be due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2026 league year; his $6.51MM 2026 salary is nonguaranteed.
John Simpson, G (Jets). Two years, $12MM. This number is down a bit from the initial $18MM figure, which is the deal’s max value. Simpson will see $6MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes. The Jets used three void years to spread out the cap hits; the fifth-year guard is on New York’s books at $3.2MM in 2024.
Folorunso Fatukasi, DT (Texans). One year, $5.2MM. The recent Jacksonville cut will receive $4.6MM guaranteed at signing on his Houston pact, Wilson tweets. The Texans tacked two void years onto the veteran nose tackle’s deal.
Trent Brown, T (Bengals). One year, $4.75MM. The veteran tackle will receive $2MM guaranteed, with OverTheCap indicating $1MM will be available in per-game roster bonuses with another $250K in play via a workout bonus. A bonus-laden structure is not new for Brown, who had weight clauses in his most recent two Patriots contracts.
Solomon Thomas, DL (Jets). One year, $3MM. The Jets are guaranteeing the former No. 3 overall pick $2.5MM, Cimini adds.
Mike Edwards, S (Bills). One year, $2.8MM. The former Tampa Bay and Kansas City safety can earn up to $4MM on his Buffalo deal, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. He is on the Bills’ cap at $2.8MM.
Cody Barton, LB (Broncos). One year, $2.46MM. The Broncos will land the veteran linebacker for more than $1MM cheaper than the Commanders did in 2023. Denver is guaranteeing $2.33MM of the deal, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
Desmond King, CB (Texans). One year, $1.8MM. Veteran slot cornerback/return man’s contract can max out at $2.2MM, Wilson tweets.

Browns, WR Jerry Jeudy Agree On Extension

March 19th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely a week after agreeing to acquire Jerry Jeudy via trade, the Browns are investing in the former Broncos first-round pick. Jeudy and the Browns have an extension in place, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.

Jeudy agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth up to $58MM, with NFL.com adding $41MM is guaranteed at signing. While the 2020 first-round pick has not delivered a consistent career to date, the Browns are betting much of that is due to the Broncos’ issues at quarterback. As they are set to pair Jeudy with Amari Cooper, the younger receiver’s deal will now run through 2027.

The Browns already restructured Jeudy’s contract, adding void years to drop his 2024 cap number from $12.99MM to $3.5MM. This extension will help the team on that front, as the void years ran through 2028 on that simple restructure. This deal will check in south of $20MM per year, and it could come in closer to $15MM per year than the $20MM AAV Cooper is tied to. Jeudy is five years younger than the Browns’ other Alabama alum at wide receiver. With Cooper’s Cowboys-constructed contract expiring after the 2024 season, the team has a commitment in place with its WR2.

While it will be worth monitoring if Cooper makes his contract an issue after delivering back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons, the Browns will not make Jeudy prove it in their system before paying him. Jeudy’s next 1,000-yard season will be his first, but the John Elway-era Broncos draftee is now tied to a guarantee that matches what the Colts just gave Michael Pittman Jr. The $41MM fully guarantee is tied for fifth among wideouts, with Deebo Samuel also fetching that at signing on his three-year deal.

Cleveland eyed Jeudy in a trade last year, but Denver’s price was too high. The Browns pivoted to Elijah Moore, who ended up costing far more than Jeudy in a trade despite the ex-Jets second-rounder’s inferior production. It cost the Browns only fifth- and sixth-round picks to obtain a depressed asset from the Broncos, who are set to give Marvin Mims more time in Sean Payton‘s offense. The Broncos picked up Courtland Sutton‘s $2MM injury guarantee Monday and kept Tim Patrick on a substantial pay cut. Jeudy became expendable in Payton’s offense, and given his inconsistency last season, it was not surprising to see the Broncos bail despite the lower-end return.

Jeudy, who will turn 25 next month, has shown himself to be a shifty route runner capable of creating space. He impressed down the stretch of a shockingly poor 2022 Broncos season, closing the campaign with 972 receiving yards. The Broncos then set a first-round pick as their preferred Jeudy return in 2023. Although an offer including third- and fifth-rounders emerged at the deadline, Denver held on amid what became a five-game win streak. But Jeudy did not play a major role in that streak, seeing Sutton re-emerge as the team’s No. 1 target during Russell Wilson‘s second and final season at the controls. Jeudy did finish with 758 yards last season, but he took an undeniable step back.

Moore posted 640 yards last season, while David Njoku delivered a career-best slate (882 yards) alongside Cooper. Joe Flacco enabled much of this production, but the Browns moved on from the reigning Comeback Player of the Year, who is now with the Colts. They will expect Jeudy to form a connection with Deshaun Watson, whose outlier contract runs through 2026.

Jeudy was unable to become the player the Broncos wanted, as they cycled through quarterbacks. The Browns are betting on the former No. 15 overall pick to unlock another level with Watson, who has certainly not shown the form the team envisioned when it traded three first-round picks for him in 2022.

NFL Restructures: Mahomes, Chiefs, Allen, Bills, Broncos, Browns, Martin, Cowboys

March 15th, 2024 at 6:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Completing a Marquise Brown signing after franchise-tagging L’Jarius Sneed, the Chiefs were able to find room due to once again taking advantage of Patrick Mahomes‘ unique contract. Kansas City created $21.6MM in cap space by restructuring the three-time Super Bowl MVP’s contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Chiefs have gone to this well twice before, making the move in 2021 and 2023 to create cap room. The team reworked Mahomes’ deal in September 2023, following the QB market moving well beyond the Missouri-based superstar’s $45MM AAV, by moving guaranteed money around. But the extension still runs through 2031, giving the team room to maneuver here. Even with the Sneed tag on the books — ahead of a potential trade — the Chiefs hold more than $15MM in cap space as of Friday afternoon.

Here is the latest on the restructure front:

After the Bills made a few high-profile cuts last week, they restructured their centerpiece player’s deal this week. Buffalo created $16.7MM in cap space by restructuring Josh Allen‘s deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This merely moved Allen’s 2024 cap charge down to $30.4MM. No void years are on Allen’s $43MM-per-year extension, but monster cap numbers in 2026 and ’27 ($63.9MM, $56.9MM) will need to be addressed. Allen’s deal runs through 2028. The Bills also adjusted Dawson Knox‘s contract to create cap space, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Broncos may be preparing to take the bigger Russell Wilson dead money hit this year as opposed to in 2025. Though, the final number has not yet emerged. The team has created considerable cap space as of late, releasing Justin Simmons and trading Jerry Jeudy. The Broncos also restructured the contracts of 2023 UFA pickups Zach Allen and Ben Powers, per Yates, creating nearly $20MM in cap room.
The Cowboys reorganized Zack Martin‘s deal recently, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer, who indicates the move created roughly $13MM in cap space. To end Martin’s holdout last year, Dallas provided considerable guarantees over the final two years of the All-Pro guard’s six-year deal. That contract now features four void years. If the Cowboys do not extend Martin before the 2025 league year, they would be staring at a $24.5MM dead money blow.
Jedrick Wills will check in here, even though he is not on a veteran contract. The Browns restructured their left tackle’s fifth-year option, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The move created more than $10MM in cap space. Cleveland tacked four void years onto Wills’ deal. If the team does not re-sign him before the 2025 league year, it incurs an $11.8MM dead money bill. The Browns also turned to Jerry Jeudy‘s fifth-year option, which the team recently acquired from the Broncos, to create more than $10MM in space, Yates adds. The team likely used the same void years-based structure with the wide receiver’s option.

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.

Broncos Expected To Move On From Courtland Sutton Or Jerry Jeudy In 2024?

January 23rd, 2024 at 12:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 23: Klis has since indicated this was more speculation, due to the forthcoming cap hit Wilson’s release will bring, rather than a true indication of the team being prepared to disband the duo. Given the time the Broncos have invested in the pair without much return on investment, it would still surprise to see Jeudy and Sutton together in orange for a fifth season.

JANUARY 21: Countless trade rumors followed the Broncos’ receiving corps last year, but the team decided to roll out its Courtland Sutton–Jerry Jeudy duo for a fourth straight year. The team nearly traded Sutton to the Ravens last March, and Jeudy continued to come up in rumors leading up to the October deadline.

Although Sutton made a significant impact for the team this season, the Broncos appear close to separating this promising but inconsistent tandem. The team is expected to move on from either Sutton or Jeudy in 2024, according to 9News’ Mike Klis.

As the Broncos lay out their offseason plan, cap space will be an issue. Denver is currently projected to land $24MM over the 2024 salary ceiling, per OverTheCap, ahead of free agency. That number pales in comparison to those Sean Payton‘s Saints needed to whittle down in order to reach cap compliance during his final years in New Orleans, but the veteran HC’s new team still has some work to do. Denver’s receiver situation, then, will again come into focus.

Baltimore nearly acquired Sutton, before pivoting to an Odell Beckham Jr. free agency agreement, but the Broncos’ offense depended on the sixth-year veteran this season. A 2019 Pro Bowler who had struggled to recapture his form since a 2020 ACL tear, Sutton came through with several highlight-reel catches — some of which helping the Broncos reenter the playoff picture via a five-game midseason win streak. Whereas Denver’s passing attack depended on Sutton, Jeudy could not build on his strong 2022 finish.

While the two finished with similar yardage totals, Sutton became Russell Wilson‘s more dependable target. The one-handed catch maven scored 10 touchdowns, completing a 772-yard season. Jeudy finished with 758 yards — nearly 200 off his 2022 pace — despite the Broncos setting a higher price on the 2020 first-round pick. Denver wanted a first-round pick for Jeudy during the 2023 offseason, while the team sought a second-rounder for Sutton. Jeudy is believed to have fetched an offer including third- and fifth-round picks, but the Broncos stood pat. His inconsistency and 2024 price tag may well reduce Denver’s ask this year.

Jeudy, 24, is tied to a fully guaranteed $12.99MM fifth-year option salary. Sutton’s four-year, $60MM contract features a nonguaranteed $13MM for 2024; the 28-year-old wideout is signed through 2025. Before the deadline, the Broncos were believed to be readier to move Jeudy than Sutton. The younger receiver still stands to carry more trade value, though he has not justified his No. 15 overall draft slot after four seasons. If the Broncos do not view Jeudy as worthy of a second contract, the team could certainly opt to unload him and regroup around Sutton and 2023 second-rounder Marvin Mims.

Neither Payton nor GM George Paton was in Denver when the team drafted Jeudy, but the latter did authorize Sutton’s extension in 2021. While the team has held off on making a big change at receiver during the 2020s, its group has not panned out as hoped. The team’s evolving QB situation — one again set for turbulence after the expected Wilson release shatters a dead-money record — has not helped, however.

Denver can also pick up $9.5MM by releasing Tim Patrick, who has suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries, but the team would have at least one receiver spot open should it also trade Jeudy or Sutton this offseason.

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