Browns Could Face Tough Roster Decision In 2025

The Cleveland Browns are about to enter a make-or-break season for multiple people in the building.

From head coach Kevin Stefanski to GM Andrew Berry, everybody needs this team to bounce back.

But if things don’t work that way, some moves will have to be made.

With that in mind, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes the Browns could and should consider moving on from Greg Newsome II, given his contract situation, inconsistent play, and injury-proneness:

“With Martin Emerson Jr. out for the year with a torn Achilles, the Cleveland Browns won’t want to move 2021 first-round pick Greg Newsome II early in the year. However, that stance will likely change if and when it becomes clear Cleveland isn’t making a run in 2025. Newsome is set to play on the fifth-year option and will be a free agent in 2026. He’s played well at times for the Browns—he allowed an opposing passer rating of just 74.8 in 2023—but not well enough to earn a lucrative extension. Injuries have also prevented the 25-year-old from playing more than 15 games in any one season. Given Cleveland’s need to rebuild—and possibly chase a quarterback in the 2026 draft—Newsome should be available for the right price,” Knox wrote.

Of course, those very reasons will most definitely hurt his trade value, unless he gets off to a strong start and plays well, and the Browns still struggle to get much going.

Denzel Ward is a superstar, and the Browns would be wise to keep him around for years to come, but this team needs to add more talent to the secondary around him.

The Browns have one of the strongest front sevens in the league, and they should get back to their dominant ways this season, but they need players like Newsome to play well and, more importantly, be available.

This team might only go as far as their defense can lead them, and while there’s a chance that Joe Flacco will turn back the clock and play as well as he did for them two years ago, there are no guarantees.

Moreover, if the wheels start falling off early, they will need to strip the band-aid, roll with one of the young quarterbacks, and extract as much value as they can from their veterans.