The Cleveland Browns are resetting for the future, which provides the franchise an opportunity to move on from personnel at key positions.
One such player is cornerback Greg Newsome II, a former first-round pick who is one year shy of free agency. Cleveland exercised a fifth-year option on Newsome’s deal, which pays him $13 million in 2025 on top of the $13 million he made across his first four years in the league.
That isn’t an overly pricey salary for a quality defensive back. However, Newsome is coming off of a down year hampered by injury and is a luxury in the Browns’ secondary that they don’t really need. Pro Bowler Denzel Ward commands one side of the field, while Martin Emerson Jr. handles outside responsibilities on the other.
Newsome became the nickel cornerback last year, where he will likely play in 2025 if he remains on the roster through the preseason. But Cleveland can get cheaper without giving up much in the form of performance by transitioning to third-year cornerback Cameron Mitchell in that spot.
Greg Newsome II Presents Browns With Potentially Lose-Lose Situation in 2025
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report named Newsome as the player the Browns should most consider trading before the regular season begins in September.
“The Browns are a dumpster fire of a roster mired in the third circle of salary-cap hell,” Davenport wrote on Monday, June 2. “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.”
Newsome will play the upcoming campaign at 25 years old. He has amassed 34 pass breakups, four tackles for loss, three interceptions and a defensive touchdown across 54 games played (42 games started) through his four-year NFL career. If Cleveland can get back a mid-round draft pick for Newsome at this stage, which his resumé certainly justifies, that should be enough value to get discussions going.
Browns Have Spent Huge on Defense Already, Unlikely to Afford Greg Newsome on New Deal
Cleveland already has a tremendously expensive team, particularly considering it won just three games last year, and paying Newsome for the future doesn’t appear in the cards.
Ward is on a $100-plus million deal, while Emerson and Mitchell provide depth that makes Newsome more expendable in 2025 than he would be otherwise. On top of that, the Browns extended star defensive end Myles Garrett on what was, briefly, the richest non-QB contract in league history following his trade request earlier this offseason.
Garrett inked a four-year contract worth $160 million that will keep him in Cleveland through the 2030 campaign, which he will play at 35 years old, unless the team cuts or trades him at some point before then.
And, of course, quarterback Deshaun Watson has two seasons remaining on his five-year, $230 million deal, which is arguably the worst contract in NFL history given his lack of time on the field and lack of performance when he has played over the past three campaigns.
