Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II finds himself at a crossroads as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
After openly expressing his desire for increased playing time during Super Bowl week, the fifth-year player faces a pivotal season that could define his future in Cleveland.
Pro Football Focus analyst Dalton Wasserman recently identified him as Cleveland’s “bounce-back” candidate for the upcoming season.
“The idea of Greg Newsome II bouncing back from a rough 2024 season is straightforward — he’s played at a higher level for most of his career. His career-low 54.0 coverage grade last year followed a 76.7 mark across his first three seasons. Two key factors in the decline were a career-low three pass breakups and a career-high 24.3% missed tackle rate. Cornerback production is notoriously volatile, and things couldn’t have gone much worse for Cleveland’s secondary in 2024. Newsome’s track record alone makes him a strong bounce-back candidate,” Wasserman wrote.
With OTAs underway, Newsome has a prime opportunity to showcase his abilities and prove he deserves to be the consistent playmaker Browns fans have been waiting for.
However, reports indicate he has not attended recent sessions, raising questions about his status with the team.
Despite the uncertainty, there remains significant optimism about Newsome’s potential for a bounce-back campaign.
The numbers support Wasserman’s assessment. In Newsome’s first three NFL seasons, the first-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft compiled 128 combined tackles, 29 passes defended and scored one defensive touchdown.
His 2023 campaign stood out as particularly impressive, with career highs in combined tackles (49), passes defended (14), tackles for loss (4) and interceptions (2, with the touchdown).
Last season told a different story. PFF gave him an overall rating of 52.2, representing a significant decline, and he started just three of his 13 games played.
Playing on his fifth-year option, this season becomes make-or-break for his long-term future with the Browns.
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