Getty Greg Newsome II of the Cleveland Browns.
Trade rumors are swirling involving Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome but he insists that he’s happy to stay put.
It was announced on Tuesday that Newsome had left Klutch Sports and joined superagent Drew Rosenhaus. The move drew some intrigue due to Rosenhaus having had some interesting dealings with the Browns previously. He has taken on a handful of clients who were seeking a trade in the past but that doesn’t appear to be the case here, per Rosenhaus.
“Greg is happy to be with the Browns,” Rosenhaus said, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. “Everything was very positive and Greg is happy with his role and playing for new DC Jim Schwartz.”
Schefter added that Newsome plans to be in attendance on Monday when the Browns’ offseason program opens up. Newsome followed that up with his own tweet shooting down the rumors.
“Ok y’all sit back a minute and lets think about this together. I just launched a softball game in Cleveland,” Newsome said, responding to the initial report from Brad Stainbrook saying that he’d like to be traded. “I’ll just leave it there.”
Newsome Likely Wants New Role Within Browns Defense
Ok y’all sit back a minute and lets think about this together. I just launched a softball game in Cleveland 😂. I’ll just leave it there. 😂💀
While Newsome would like to stay in Cleveland, it does seem that he’s making his point clear that he’d like a new role within the defense.
Newsome was the Browns’ first-round pick in 2021 and quickly established himself as one of the top young cornerbacks in the game. However, last season Newsome found himself playing more in the slot due to the Browns having three cornerbacks they like, Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson Jr. being the others When teams went with more than two receivers, Newsome would be the one who bumped inside, while Emerson and Ward took the outside receivers.
Newsome responded to a tweet this offseason with a resounding “no” when asked if he’d do it again, which prompted some questions about his future.
However, general manager Andrew Berry downplayed any issue with Newsome.
“We always have conversations with our guys, whether it’s at the end of the season or into the offseason, feel good about where Greg is,” Berry said at the combine in February. “He’s going to be a pretty big part of what we’re doing moving forward. I think Greg, one of his value adds is the fact that he can play outside and inside, but we think he’s a good young player and I know Jim’s excited to work with him as well.”
Browns Rebuilt Defense in Offseason Under Jim Schwartz
The Browns rebuilt the defense this offseason after hiring veteran defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to replace Joe Woods. The team brought in multiple key pieces via free agency, including defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, pass-rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo and safety Juan Thornhill.
Schwartz is building an attacking scheme and knew exactly what he was looking for as he built his unit.
“There are certain skill sets we look for and a little bit of play style that maybe other people might not appreciate as much,” Schwartz said shortly after getting hired. “They might use the person a little bit differently, and something that’s sort of involved in that scheme is that we can get guys going pretty quickly.”
We’ll see where Newsome fits within that scheme but there’s no doubt he’s an asset for Schwartz and Co. to have on their side.