As soon as the Cleveland Browns traded Myles Garrett in early June, similar rumors started to intensify regarding cornerback Denzel Ward. It was thought that by trading Garrett, the Browns were willing to part with other veteran defenders in an effort to further accelerate their rebuild and roster turnover.
After making the Pro Bowl the past three years, at one of the most valuable positions on the field, Ward’s value on the market could have given the Browns an excellent return, either before the season or, maybe better yet, at the NFL trade deadline during the season. At times, it seemed like a deal was going to be inevitable.
Instead, the Browns decided on a completely different path. They recently gave Ward a two-year, $62.2 million contract extension that not only ties him to the team for the next four seasons, but it reestablishes him as the highest-paid cornerback in the game.
While Cleveland may have gotten what it wanted, insider Seth Walder of ESPN said he believes the Browns made the wrong call with Ward’s offseason extension, claiming it goes too far into the future.
“The Browns handed Ward, one of their defensive pillars, a two-year extension worth $31.1 million per year to keep him in Cleveland through 2029. But it’s not a deal I would have made. Ward is 29 years old and, critically, had two years left on his contract (at a reasonable $20.25 million per year). I would not have been in a rush to add more money to secure his rights in his age-31 and age-32 seasons,” Walder wrote.
It is reasonable to think that Ward may not be playing at the same elite level as he enters his thirties toward the end of the contract. So, at that point, it may not be money well spent. But for the next few years, at least, there are some distinct advantages for the Browns.
First, it quiets the trade rumors, allowing Ward, an Ohio native and Ohio State product who has been extremely loyal to the Browns, to concentrate solely on football. It also lets his teammates know he is an important part of what the team is trying to build.
Second, it removes the spectre of a contract dispute over the next couple of years and signals to his younger teammate that the Browns are willing to reward their own players. Finally, by not trading him, it makes Cleveland better this season, as it tries to establish a winning identity under new head coach Todd Monken and coordinator Mike Rutenberg.
It is a good sign that the Browns are thinking about keeping their good players rather than trying to find something for them, even if it may become expensive at some point.
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