The Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns agreed to a deal on Saturday that will send wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland in exchange for two draft picks ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported.
The Browns are getting a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick in return for Jeudy, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Denver Broncos to Trade Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland Browns
Jeudy, 24, was a first-round pick by the Broncos in 2020 out of Alabama. In 2023, he finished out the fourth year of his four-year, $15.192 million rookie deal that included an $8.61 million signing bonus.
The Broncos picked up Jeudy’s fifth-year option for the 2024 season last March worth $12.978 million fully guaranteed.
In 2023, Jeudy appeared in 16 games for the Broncos and caught 54 passes for 758 yards and two touchdowns. He has 211 catches for 3,053 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his four seasons in Denver.
Jeudy has seemingly been involved in trade talks for more than a year, and it was rumored that the Broncos were actively fielding offers for the receiver before the trade deadline.
Schefter notes that the Browns were among the teams that made a run at Jeudy, with NFL Network’s James Palmer noting that Cleveland’s front office previously thought the price was too high. The Browns apparently reduced their demands, leading to today’s agreement.
With the trade, Denver creates $12,987,000 in additional salary cap space while also acquiring more draft capital for April.
Marvin Mims Jr. is expected to replace Jeudy’s role in Sean Payton’s offense, and the Broncos also have two other promising young WRs in Brandon Johnson and Jalen Virgil.
Jeudy, who has one season remaining on his contract before he’s set to become a free agent in 2025, now gets a fresh start with a new team.
Jeudy will provide the Browns with a much-needed dynamic weapon at wide receiver while the Broncos continue to stockpile draft picks in hopes of rebuilding their roster.
This marks the third consecutive year the Browns have acquired a wide receiver via trade with Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore coming to Cleveland in subsequent offseasons. Moore likely will be pushed aside as the No. 3 target with the acquisition of Jeudy.
At times during his four seasons with the Broncos, Jeudy has visibly shown frustration with not getting the ball thrown his way. The receiver will now get a chance with the Cleveland Browns and quarterback Deshaun Watson.
KEEP READING: Full List of Denver Broncos 2024 Draft Picks
The Broncos in the past six days have also released quarterback Russell Wilson, star safety Justin Simmons, blocking tight end Chris Manhertz, and non-tendered defensive lineman Jonathan Harris.
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