The Cleveland Browns have repeatedly indicated that Denzel Ward remains part of their plans, but a difficult season could test that commitment, but trading the five-time Pro Bowler may not deliver the type of return many would expect.
Ward would be among Cleveland’s most logical trade candidates if the team falls out of contention before the deadline. He remains one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks, but his age and contract would be factors in getting a deal done.
The 29-year-old Ward was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl last season. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell warned that even Ward’s sustained production might not be enough to generate a first-round draft pick in a trade.
“Ward’s still playing at a high level, but at 29, there probably won’t be the sort of market Browns fans would hope for if the organization ships out the veteran cornerback,” Barnwell wrote. “Jalen Ramsey’s trade to the Dolphins (for a third-round pick and backup tight end Hunter Long) is a reminder of how difficult it can be to deal even elite cornerbacks as they approach 30.”
Ward is entering the final two seasons of the five-year, $100.5 million extension he signed in 2022. There is no guaranteed money remaining on the deal, making it movable if Cleveland decides to shift further toward the future.
Browns Have No Plans to Trade Denzel Ward
Speculation about Ward’s future intensified after the Browns traded Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. Garrett — coming off a record-setting season — had been viewed as a foundational piece of the organization before the Rams presented Cleveland with pass-rusher Jared Verse and a package of premium picks.
General manager Andrew Berry was asked directly whether Garrett’s departure meant Ward could be next. Berry stopped short of making any guarantees but made it clear that the veteran cornerback remained an important part of the roster.
“Denzel’s been great throughout the offseason. His communication’s been good. He’s a big part of the team, and we like him a lot,” Berry said. “He’s still playing at a really high level. That doesn’t change with this transaction.”
Ward has also expressed his desire to remain in Cleveland despite making the playoffs only twice since being drafted.
“I could get traded, but I don’t look too much into that stuff,” Ward said. “It’s the nature of the game. Say I do get traded, for me, wherever I’m at that’s where I’m supposed to be. So if I’m here, I’m supposed to be here. If I go to a different team, that’s where I’m supposed to be. But I love playing for the Cleveland Browns. I want to be here. I’m grateful wherever I’m at, whatever opportunity I get to go play football, that’s what I do.”
Ward has spent his entire career in Cleveland since the Browns selected him fourth overall in 2018. He has registered 18 interceptions and 104 passes defensed through his first eight seasons
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Ward was not the only Browns player evaluated by Barnwell. Verse carried the highest estimated trade value on Cleveland’s roster. Barnwell projected that it would take a first-round pick and additional compensation for the Browns to consider moving the two-time Pro Bowler they acquired in the Garrett deal.
Offensive tackle Spencer Fano, defensive tackle Mason Graham and linebacker Carson Schwesinger were each placed in the one-first-round-pick tier. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. joined Ward among the players who narrowly missed that mark.
The Browns specifically required Verse to be included in the Garrett deal and view him as a centerpiece of their revamped defensive front. Graham and Schwesinger are coming off promising rookie seasons, while Fano was Cleveland’s top selection in this year’s draft.
Trading any of those players would make little sense for a team trying to build around a younger core. The Browns have added draft capital and young talent with the expectation that those players will be part of what comes next.
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