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The Denver Broncos have agreed to send 2020 first-round pick Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for two draft picks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter adds the Broncos will receive a 2024 fifth-round pick and sixth-round pick from the Browns in exchange for Jeudy.
The deal will not be made official until the new league year begins on March 13.
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Jerry Jeudy #10 of the Denver Broncos warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
The Browns previously tried trading for Jeudy at last year’s NFL trade deadline, but both sides couldn’t come to an agreement. The interest remained in Cleveland, and this time, the price was right.
Jeudy’s trade interest has been apparent for quite some time across the league. By doing so now, the Broncos are saving $12.987 million in 2024 cap space, making it a win-win for both sides. Jeudy gets his fresh start on the final year of his rookie deal, while Denver creates more room to work with as free agency approaches on March 13.
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Jeudy was the 15th overall pick in the 2020 Draft out of Alabama, a speedy 6-foot-1, 193-pound receiver who shined with over 1,000 yards receiving in back-to-back college campaigns.
However, Jeudy’s NFL career hasn’t seen a 1,000-yard season yet, and several factors roll into that.
The first was inconsistent quarterback play since Jeudy arrived in Denver. He did have 113 targets his rookie season with numerous quarterbacks at the helm, including Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien. He caught 52 of those targets for 856 yards with three touchdowns.
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (10) celebrates his touchdown catch during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Injuries played a factor in his 467 yards and no touchdowns in 2021, starting just five games and playing in 10.
When Russell Wilson came aboard in 2022, Jeudy’s stock rose with career bests in receptions (67), yards (972) and touchdowns (6). But this came during a brutal year for the Broncos, a team expected to be better with Wilson leading the offense, however finished 5-12 on the year.
Courtland Sutton supplanted Jeudy as the top Broncos target last season, as the latter finished with 758 yards on 54 catches (87 targets) with two touchdowns over 16 games. The Broncos’ offense as a whole was a conservative group that relied heavily on the run game to get the job down in another playoff-less season.
Jeudy heads to a Browns team that has firepower all over the offense, though what quarterback Deshaun Watson can do with it remains to be seen after his lackluster second season with Cleveland ended early due to a shoulder injury.
Jerry Jeudy of the Denver Broncos celebrates a reception during the second quarter of a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field At Mile High on October 29, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
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Jeudy joins Amari Cooper, who had 1,250 yards with five regular-season touchdowns last season, and Elijah Moore on the wide receiver front. Tight end David Njoku is also a receiving threat, while Nick Chubb aims to return from his knee injury next season alongside Jerome Ford in the backfield.
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