Browns celebrates his interception against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Lumen Field
With the Cleveland Browns’ decision to trade Amari Cooper, analysts are suggesting the franchise is now eyeing the future instead of the present.
Cleveland’s deal sent Cooper and a sixth-rounder in 2025 to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2025 and a seventh-round selection in 2026.
The stockpiling of draft picks suggests that the Browns are looking to rebuild sooner rather than later, leaving analyst Daryl Ruiter to peek into the future to see what other players could be on the move after this season.
Ruiter shared on X that nine current members of the Browns are free agents in March, including several household names for Cleveland.
“Some Browns in the final year of their contracts and eligible for free agency next March: RB Nick Chubb, S Rodney McLeod, WR Elijah Moore, DT Maurice Hurst, DE Za’Darius Smith, LT Jedrick Wills Jr., OT James Hudson, S D’Anthony Bell, QB Jameis Winston,” Ruiter wrote.
McLeod is included on the list, but the safety indicated before the season began that 2024 would be his last in the NFL.
The other eight have not discussed retiring, especially the first name on the list.
Chubb appears ready to return to action this week against Cincinnati after the running back was injured early last year, damaging the same knee he injured while in college nearly a decade ago.
The offense has the most athletes on the list with Chubb joining Moore, Wills, Hudson, and Winston as potential free agents in 2025.
Defensively, the Browns drafted defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. this April, and his presence could be enough for the team to move on from Hurst after two injury-riddled seasons with the team.
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