The Cleveland Browns enter this season with a big need for redemption.
They were expected to be in the mix for a playoff spot last season, yet they only won three games.
That has raised some questions about the roster’s core and whether it’s in the team’s best interests to keep some of its big-name players around.
It has also cast doubts about whether they will be able to afford all of them, given that they are a veteran group.
Notably, that’s why Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes the Browns should strongly consider trading cornerback Greg Newsome II.
Though he’s one of their best players, Davenport said they may not be able to retain Newsome, so they might as well get something in return for his services while they can.
“The Browns are a dumpster fire of a roster mired in the third circle of salary-cap hell. Newsome and fellow young cornerback Martin Emerson are entering the final year of their contracts. And the cold, hard truth is that the better Newsome plays this year, the less chance the Browns will have of being able to afford him in 2026. Yes, Newsome struggled a season ago. But he’s a young player at a premium position who has shown that he can play at a high level. There should be a market for a player like that,” Davenport wrote.
From one perspective, this approach makes some sense.
Nevertheless, the Browns’ brass knows they might not keep their jobs unless the team fares well this season.
As such, they may not be thinking about giving up assets and moving on from their best players.
Of course, that could change with a slow start to the season.
If another subpar campaign seems inevitable, and they don’t get the sense that Newsome will want to stay for the long run, they could trade him.
This roster looks to be much better than a three-win team, and the Browns should use takes like this as motivation to prove their doubters wrong this season.
NEXT: Report: Browns Could Make Surprising Decision With Shedeur Sanders
