The conversation around Berea this week has turned to what the Cleveland Browns could get back for Jerry Jeudy. With rookie receivers like Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion taking over, the realistic answer for the 27-year-old is a Day 3 pick, likely in the fourth- to sixth-round range, before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday that Cleveland wants an early third- or fourth-round pick, though he doubted the Browns would get it. Recent history backs him up. Jacksonville sent fourth- and sixth-round picks to Las Vegas for Jakobi Meyers at last year’s deadline, and the Colts moved Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh in March in a swap of late-round picks. Cleveland gave Denver only fifth- and sixth-round picks for Jeudy in 2024.
Why his contract helps the sales pitch
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Jeudy carries a $9.175 million cap hit this season, and the nearly $23 million he is due in 2027 is not guaranteed, according to his Spotrac page. A contender could rent him for half a season and walk away in March. The catch for Cleveland is that a trade would leave more dead money than his 2026 cap hit.
His role explains the soft market. Jeudy has eight catches for 81 yards through five games, two years removed from a 1,229-yard Pro Bowl season. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell noted he had been playing about half of the offensive snaps before Concepcion’s concussion, dipping to 38% in the Week 4 win over Pittsburgh. He has 81 yards on 133 routes, per PFF. Head coach Todd Monken insisted in September that “Jerry’s opportunities will come,” adding, “It’s just like I said, a little bit by game plan and others, that the ball just didn’t find him.”
Whether a deal is inevitable depends on whom you ask. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday that the Browns are not actively shopping Jeudy but that a strong offer could change their thinking, and Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reported earlier this month the team had no plans to move him. Still, The Athletic’s Zac Jackson wrote in September that Jeudy’s future is “almost certainly not with the Browns.”
The next few weeks are his audition. If the snaps dry up again once Concepcion returns, Cleveland’s price will only fall.
More on the Cleveland Browns
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- Browns Add Running Back Audric Estime, While Continuing to Also Fine-Tune Practice Squad
- Browns Need All-Hands-On-Deck With Ravens, Lamar Jackson Coming to Town in Week 6
- Browns Rookie Wide Receiver KC Concepcion Trends Toward Playing in Week 6
