Browns earning high marks for Jerry Jeudy trade

The deal won’t be official until March 13, but the early returns are favorable after Cleveland lands another wide receiver.

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry decided that there was no need to wait for the start of free agency to improve the team as he reportedly worked out a trade on Saturday with the Denver Broncos for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Berry and the Browns have been linked to the former first-round pick for a while now, and with the Broncos picking up the pieces from the rubble that was the Russell Wilson experience, Berry was able to land Jeudy for just a fifth- and a sixth-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. (So much for the fan fiction that the Browns would have to part with starting cornerback Greg Newsome II to acquire Jeudy.)

As much as everyone loves a trade, they love handing out immediate grades of the trade almost as much, so let’s take a quick run through some of the various grade books while we wait for the trade to become official when the new league year begins on March 13.

CBS Sports: B+

This is a good low-cost flier for the Browns. They did not give up much in the way of draft capital for Jeudy, who is a talented but nonetheless frustrating player. Still, trying to see if they can tap into something that the Broncos didn’t is an idea that has a lot of merit. The only thing holding this from getting into the “A” range is Jeudy’s fully guaranteed $13 million salary, which is an overpay if he performs like he has to date in his career. And for a team with the Browns’ salary cap situation, that could be a little dicey.

Sporting News: A-

Much like when the Browns dealt a fifth-round pick and sixth-round pick swap for Cooper, it’s tough to find fault in such a low-risk deal. Jeudy isn’t the player Cooper is. But he also doesn’t come with the financial risk Cooper did in 2022 given that he’s a one-year rental. If it doesn’t work out, Cleveland can wipe its hands clean of the deal next offseason.

The change in scenery should benefit Jeudy, who will face a lower-pressure environment. This isn’t the team that drafted him with high expectations, nor is it the team that expected Jeudy to become a No. 1 receiver quicker than expected after Courtland Sutton tore his ACL two weeks into the 2020 season.

The trade also signals an understanding by GM Andrew Berry that the Browns’ offense can’t count on the running game to lead the way. It will take some time for Nick Chubb to return from last season’s gruesome knee injury, and when he does, it wouldn’t be fair to immediately give him the keys to the offense.

Cleveland will have to pass the ball to win games, and Watson looked like a quarterback who needed plenty of help when he was on the field in 2023. The Browns’ depth chart was thin behind Cooper, so a high-ceiling player such as Jeudy is a much-needed addition to the receiving room.

USA Today: A-

The Browns are doing everything they can to help whoever is playing at quarterback this fall, whether it be Deshaun Watson or Joe Flacco, have the options they need to succeed in the passing game. Taking on Jeudy’s nearly $13 million cap hit means that Cleveland is expecting Jeudy to factor in heavily to the offense this season, as he had 758 yards and two touchdowns last season and 972 yards and six touchdowns the season prior.

The Browns already had a stout receiver room in Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, and David Bell, so it’s clear that Cleveland wants to utilize its wideouts plenty in the offensive game plan. Cleveland gives away a few low draft picks for a very reasonable flier on a former first-round draft pick who might tap into more of his potential with consistent quarterback play.

It’s a nice move for Browns general manager Andrew Berry, even if Jeudy’s current cap hit this season will likely lead Cleveland to either go ahead and sign him to an extension or make some additional moves to clear space for free agents next week and the 2024 draft class later this summer.

ESPN: B

The Browns made a run at Jeudy during last season’s trade deadline but couldn’t get a deal done. Now, days before free agency begins, general manager Andrew Berry secures a running mate for receiver Amari Cooper and another pass-game target for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Jeudy, who turns 25 in April, posted 54 receptions for 758 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. The No. 15 pick in the 2020 draft has shown promise but seemingly fell out of favor in Denver once new coach Sean Payton arrived. A 57-game starter in four years in Denver, Jeudy will play on a fifth-year option deal worth $13 million before hitting free agency after the 2024 season.

Wide receiver was my top need for the Browns entering the offseason; the team has struggled to put a viable WR2 opposite Cooper. With Watson returning from a shoulder injury next season, he’ll have the best pass-catching duo of his career. For the Browns, this is a low-cost investment that could pay off huge for a team that made an improbable playoff run in 2023.

Jeudy spent four seasons with the Broncos, catching 211 passes for 3,053 yards, 11 touchdowns, and averaged 14.5 yards per reception. His best season came in 2022 when he had 67 receptions for 972 yards and six touchdowns.

He is in the final year of his rookie contract, which is currently slated to pay him just under $13 million for this season.