With Deshaun Watson at quarterback and the team apparently at a crossroads, the Cleveland Browns needed to make a move at wide receiver ahead of a crucial 2024 season, but it’s difficult to view the trade for Jerry Jeudy as anything other than a risk.
In the best-case scenario, Jeudy and Amari Cooper develop into a potent combination of big-play threats that aid Watson and the Cleveland Browns in staying up in a competitive AFC North that has two of the league’s most successful quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.
However, The 33rd Team ranks the Browns’ deal for Jeudy as one of the riskiest actions made by any NFL team this offseason thus far.
Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team writes, “It’s a gamble that Jeudy will play better in a loaded offense with a quarterback in his own make-or-break season.” With a net worth of slightly less than $13 million, Jefferson was in the last year of his rookie contract when the money was rolled into his extension.
If Jeudy can live up to the expectations placed on him as a strong playmaker at Alabama, the deal might be a tremendous value.
Through his first five seasons, Jeudy has caught 211 receptions for 3,053 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career. It’s clear that the Cleveland Browns are counting on a change of location to bring forth his greatest qualities.
There are others who doubt Jeudy’s potential beyond what he has demonstrated in the NFL.
According to Valentino, “Jeudy hasn’t shown enough consistency to be more than a borderline WR2.” Although it’s a progressive step, these risks don’t always pay off. If Jeudy is not a glaring difference-maker in 2024, the Jeudy deal may appear extremely expensive given Cleveland’s limited financial resources in the upcoming years.
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