NFL Transfers & Rumours
Denzel Ward Emerges as Next Browns Star Linked to Potential Trade
Cleveland Browns v Seattle Seahawks by Steph Chambers | Getty Images
The Browns maintained for years that they would not trade future Hall of Fame pass rusher Myles Garrett despite constant rumblings around the NFL that he would not finish his career in Cleveland.
There have been rumblings about top cornerback Denzel Ward also departing for roughly that long.
While Ward hasn’t demanded a trade as Garrett did in the past, and his contract isn’t nearly as cumbersome as Garrett’s was, there isn’t as much pressure on the franchise to move the defensive back.
Still, plenty of personnel executives around the NFL anticipate Ward will also be gone by the middle of the season.
The Browns are not ready to contend.
They have been hearing offers for Ward for years, and, like Garrett, for as superior as the player is, he has not been a part of a winning operation, and the Browns are loading up on draft picks to try to land a franchise quarterback in 2027.
Ward won’t fetch anything close to the massive return they got for Garrett, of course, but their willingness to eventually move Garrett sent a strong signal to the marketplace about how they really view themselves and any competitive window.
Why Keep One More top Veteran Now?
“Do I think Ward goes, too? Yeah, I do,” one general manager said.
“This isn’t a June 1 think like the other one (Garrett). But by the deadline.”
Ward turned 29 in April and would hold real value for a contender around midseason if he maintains his level of performance.
It’s hard to imagine the Browns being in anything other than a position to continue adding draft picks, and a team could essentially rent him for 1 ½ seasons at an average salary of $17M a season, a steal for a player of his calibre.
And the Browns will have paid $8M in salary by the deadline as well.
The contract is clean and doesn’t carry any awkward future options, roster bonuses, or guarantees.
A contending team that acquires him could sweeten the pot with some incentives as well to help facilitate the transition, the GM noted.
Editor's Insight
If Cleveland are serious about stacking picks for a 2027 reset, Ward feels like the logical next chip to move rather than a core piece they try to extend the window with. The league noise is getting louder, and that usually doesn’t come from nowhere. Worth watching the in-season trade markets closely, his odds of moving before the deadline may shorten quickly if the Browns start slowly again.
Related Resources to NFL Transfers & Rumours
- Mac Jones Still Viewed as In-Season Upgrade for QB-Needy Teams
- Baker Mayfield’s Current Salary Reflects His Place in the QB Market
- Seahawks Maintain Downfield Attack Despite Klint Kubiak Departure
- Rams Refuse to Rule Out Shock Aaron Donald Return in 2026
- Anthony Richardson, Sam Ehlinger Among Jets' Potential QB Targets
- Steelers Could Trade Mason Rudolph As Will Howard Continues To Impress Behind Aaron Rodgers
- Week 1 in Sight? Colts Encouraged by Daniel Jones’ Rapid Rehab Progress
- Chris Olave ‘$30M Man’ Talks Intensify as Saints Prepare Major Extension Push
- NFL GMs Split on Betting-Linked QB Brendan Sorsby Ahead of Supplemental Draft Decision
- Did the Browns Move Too Early on Myles Garrett Deal? GMs Raise Questions
- Record-Setting Extension Still Expected for Puka Nacua, Say NFL Execs
- AJ Brown Expected To Join Patriots This Week In Exchange For 2028 First-Round Pick
- J.J. McCarthy’s Awkward Kyler Murray Reaction Sparks Trade Speculation Around Vikings QB
- NFL Pushing For Record-Breaking $10B Seattle Seahawks Sale
- Packers Holding Steady at Running Back for Now as Josh Jacobs Legal Case Unfolds
- Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby Would Get Be Selected In The Supplemental Draft, Execs Say
- Chargers Preparing Derwin James Mega Extension Using Kyle Hamilton Contract as Blueprint
- South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers Emerging as Surprise Name in Loaded 2027 QB Draft Class
- Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman Emerging As NFL’s Most Coveted Future Head Coach
- Raiders Set to Ease Fernando Mendoza In as Kirk Cousins Expected to Start Week 1
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.