Tag: Jerry Jeudy

Report: Jets tried to trade a WR to Broncos this spring

The Jets offered Allen Lazard and a “Day 2 draft pick” to the Broncos for Jerry Jeudy, but Woody Johnson nixed the deal, per The Athletic.

Before the Denver Broncos agreed to trade wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns this spring, they received a better offer (in terms of draft picks) from another AFC team.

Former New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas — who was fired this week — offered the Broncos a “Day 2 draft pick” and wide receiver Allen Lazard in exchange for Jeudy, according to a report from Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

The second day of the draft features the second and third rounds, so that would have been better compensation for Jeudy than what the Broncos ended up getting from the Browns (fifth- and sixth-round picks).

The Jets deal was vetoed by New York co-owner Woody Johnson, according to the Rosenblatt and Russini report.

Getting a higher draft pick for Jeudy would have been nice, but Denver also would have inherited Lazard’s contract. The receiver, turning 29 next month, is scheduled to have base salaries of $11 million in 2025 and 2026.

After Johnson nixed the trade, the Broncos later traded Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele in the NFL draft. Those receivers will have team-friendly contracts over the next four years with the highest cap hit among them being Franklin’s $1.4 million charge in 2027.

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Browns, Saints exchange long touchdown passes

The Saints and Browns went for long touchdown passes

One of Jameis Winston’s former teams played his current team on Sunday.

The Cleveland Browns quarterback connected with Jerry Jeudy on a pass and the wideout took it to the house, going 89 yards on the play.

The Saints countered with a long play of their own as Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught a pass from Derek Carr and scored on the 71-yard play.

The Saints led 14-6 at the half.

To the house: Jeudy gets Browns on the board with 89-yard score

Winston-to-Jeudy!

The Cleveland Browns are on the board after quarterback Jameis Winston found wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for a long score against the New Orleans Saints.

Late in the first quarter of this Week 11 matchup, Winston hit receiver Jerry Jeudy for an 89-yard touchdown to get them on the board. New Orleans committed an offsides penalty on the extra point, prompting the Browns to go for two, and the attempt was no good.

The Browns recorded their longest play from scrimmage this season on the drive’s first play when Winston broke the pocket and hit Jeudy for the long catch and run. New Orleans was forced to punt on the previous drive after committing a penalty in Browns territory on fourth and one. Backed up near their own end zone, Cleveland got just what they needed to pull the game within one.

Winston completed just two of his first five passes and has had some missed throws already, but he’ll look to heat up after a massive play. Since taking over as the starter, Winston has created multiple explosive plays. He’ll look to limit turnovers and continue creating big plays to get back in the win column.

Saints rule out 2 players, 6 more questionable vs. Browns on final injury report

The New Orleans Saints ruled out two players against the Browns, with six questionable on the final Week 11 injury report:

Believe it or not, this is a big improvement. The New Orleans Saints ruled out just two players against the Cleveland Browns, with six more questionable on the final Week 11 injury report. Just one starter is out for sure — left guard Lucas Patrick (ankle) — and three others are in the questionable group between center Erik McCoy (groin), linebacker Pete Werner (hand), and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (hamstring). Werner at least will be a game-time decision.

That’s a far cry from where the Saints had been in regards to injuries for much of this season (and last year, and the year before that). Interim head coach Darren Rizzi made it a point to revise the daily practice schedule, but whatever the training staff is doing differently is working, too.

But that’s not to say the Saints have an advantage in health this week. The Browns ruled out just one player, defensive tackle Mike  Hall (knee),  and  the other five players listed on their injury report this week all practiced fully on Friday and will be available for Sunday’s game. That includes backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (right finger) and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee). Check the final Week 11 injury report for yourself:

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Saints start with their shortest injury report in weeks vs. Browns

The Saints started with their shortest injury report in weeks before Sunday’s game with the Browns. Team health is finally trending up:

This is what you want to see. The New Orleans Saints shared their shortest injury report in weeks, if not months, ahead of Week 11’s home  game with the  Cleveland Browns. Just nine players were listed this time after what’s felt like double-digit injury reports had become the norm.

And of those nine, only three didn’t practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Pete Werner (hand), guard Lucas Patrick (ankle), running back Jamaal Williams (groin) weren’t able to go, though in Werner’s case he’s said to be day-to-day with a chance to play on Sunday. So really that’s two inactives and a single starter down to start the week

Of course that doesn’t mean everything is great. The team’s two best receivers, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, are both on  injured reserve and might be done for the year already. But we’ll take our wins where we can find them. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi expressed optimism that starting center Erik McCoy (groin) could return from I.R. this week, and that rookie cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (hamstring) may return to the starting lineup after missing a few games with an injury of his own. That’s progress.

As for the Browns? Their injury report is even more brief than the Saints’, with the most notable listing being wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee), who practiced fully on Wednesday. Health won’t be in the Saints’ favor this week,  but for possibly the first time this season it may not be actively holding them back.

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Injuries to key DBs highlight Ravens’ struggles with pass defense in loss to Browns

The Ravens entered this game dead last in the league in pass defense, so the Browns were well aware they could exploit the secondary.

Those who call the NFL a league of parity (not “parody,” OMG! That common malapropism drives me insane) could certainly point to today’s 29-24 win by the Cleveland Browns over the Baltimore Ravens.

Worst beat first in the AFC North division as Baltimore’s five-game win streak ended, as did Cleveland’s five-game losing skid.

Jameis Winston, who many football pundits have declared “washed” for some time, finished 27 of 41 passing for 334 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions while leading the Browns’ offense to heights that had not been seen under their franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson this season.

The Ravens entered this game dead last in the league in pass defense, so the Browns were well aware the secondary was a position group that could potentially be exploited.

And things worsened for Baltimore even before a single pass was thrown, as Nate Wiggins (illness), Marlon Humphrey (ankle), and T.J. Tampa (IR) were all ruled out.

More change was still to come in the defensive backs position group, as Marcus Williams was benched for being largely ineffective this season. The Ravens’ pass defense has been a persistent problem this year, but it’s not as bad as it may seem.

Baltimore is so stout against the run that opponents consistently find themselves having to rely on their passing attacks heavily. Also, the Ravens entered the day in first place, with a 5-2 record, and teams with winning records tend to find themselves ahead, and even well ahead, most of the time.

And what do you do when you’re behind, often well behind?  You pretty much have to pass.

So, while today was undoubtedly a shocking surprise defeat, all is not lost.

Ravens take a step back in shocking 29-24 loss to the Browns in Week 8

Ravens take a step back in shocking 29-24 loss to the Browns in Week 8

Baltimore has a penchant for blowing late fourth-quarter leads, but on Sunday, the Ravens took a step back toward the inconsistent unit that lost two straight to start the season.

In what can only be described as a shocking loss, the Cleveland Browns had their most impactful performance without Deshaun Watson in a 29-24 victory over first-place Baltimore in Week 8.

Lamar Jackson started the game 6-6 passing but finished 23-38 passing, for 289 yards (7.6 avg), two touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a 101.8 rating. Just like Baltimore had their five-game winning streak snapped, star running back Derrick Henry came back to earth, rushing for only 73 yards (6.6 avg) and one touchdown on 11 carries.

After missing two practices during the week with an ankle injury, second-year wideout Zay Flowers posted another 100-yard game, logging seven catches for 115 yards on the afternoon.

Zach Orr’s defense played without two starters at cornerback, and Jameis Winston carved up the Ravens. The former Heisman Trophy winner went 23-38 passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns.

The Browns took the lead when Winston threw a 38-yard touchdown pass — his third of the game — to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left as Cleveland erased weeks of frustration.

Baltimore will now look to regroup with Bo Nix and the upstart Broncos heading to M&T Bank Stadium in Week 9.

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Browns new WR1 ready to take on the opportunity

After the trade of Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy is the new WR1 for the Browns. And he is ready for the role.

Jerry Jeudy may have found himself in a position to be the most important offensive player on the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns traded away wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday, opening the way for Jeudy to take over the top of the depth chart.

He didn’t seem phased when asked, responding, “I’m more in a position to make plays, that’s the only way my role can change.”

Jeudy has been in this role before acting as a quasi-number-one option for his original team the Denver Broncos. In two healthy seasons, he earned 100+ targets and was just shy of 1,000 yards each time. So far this season he’s had 36 targets, 20 receptions, 248 yards, and one touchdown.

“I don’t know how many targets I’m going to get a game but hopefully it increases,” he continued.

The Browns had faith in the young receiver in their initial vision for him. They sent a fourth and sixth-round pick to the Broncos to acquire him back in March before signing him to a three-year, $58 million extension.

Without Cooper, Jeudy should expect the lion’s share of targets moving forward with only tight end David Njoku in competition. To this point, Jeudy had been fourth on the team in offensive snaps and second in targets, 13 more than the third starting receiver Elijah Moore.

He will be aided by the long-awaited return of running back Nick Chubb in the run game, but coming off a major knee injury from over a year ago we’ll have to wait and see how effective he can be early on.

The offense is currently in flux and more changes could occur if a potential quarterback change is on the horizon. We’ll see how Jeudy responds to his role change but he has time to acclimate before a revenge game opportunity when he goes back to Denver to take on the Broncos in Week 13 on Monday Night Football.

The good, the bad, the ugly: The Browns embarrass themselves again vs. Raiders

I guess we have to talk about it…

Dropping another winnable game where they beat themselves, the Cleveland Browns have dropped to 1-3 on the season after a disappointing loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

A missed extra point was the difference in this game from Dustin Hopkins as the Browns were forced to go for it on 4th down in range for what could have been a game-tying field goal. There were more dropped passes, big plays called back, and a late arrival from the defense for the second straight week in this loss.

With the red-hot Washington Commanders up next for the Browns, it is now or never for head coach Kevin Stefanski and his team.

Here is what stood out: the good, the bad, and the ugly, from this 20-16 loss to the Raiders.

The good: Jerry Jeudy continues to look like a stellar add

It was mostly ugly for the Browns in this loss to the Raiders, a game for the second straight week where they beat themselves more than the opponent. However, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy continues to look like a player worth the cost the Browns gave up for him.

He finished the game as the Browns’ leading receiver, racking up 72 yards on six catches on the day. Jeudy has established himself as an elite route runner and the most explosive playmaker on the football field while tight end David Njoku continues to nurse a bad ankle.

With the struggles of Amari Cooper early in the season, and in a contract year, the Browns need Jeudy to be the first round pick that he was in 2020. Even if he is nothing more than a high-end WR2 in Cleveland, Jeudy has been worth the investment thus far.

As for the good, that was about it.

The bad: The offensive line

It keeps getting worse. Already without three starters along their offensive line, the Browns lost another as Ethan Pocic suffered an ankle injury that he tried to play through but could not.

On one occasion, Amari Cooper was wide open down the field when second-year offensive tackle Dawand Jones whiffed on his assignment and let an immediate defender in the face of Watson. While it was a bad, phantom call, an 80-yard touchdown was wiped off the board due to a holding on Nick Harris as well. Harris then snapped the ball early before Watson was ready on the final drive of the game.

The interior continues to struggle to pick up twists and stunts, and the communication cannot get better when bodies continue to shuffle through. Even with the return of Wills and Conklin, potentially next week, it’s hard to see a way up in 2024.

The ugly: It’s hard to feel optimistic about the future

The cap space isn’t the issue. The Browns will have it managed and under control. However, even managed as it is, the Browns will have to spend controlled and sparingly. They do have a first round pick back as well, but the amount of holes at premium positions is becoming overwhelming.

The Browns need two offensive tackles, a true top wide receiver, and potentially a quarterback as well on the offensive side of the football. Even if Jeudy establishes himself, he is a high-end WR2. Cooper is in a contract year and will not be back at this rate.

Both Conklin and Wills are likely gone at the end of the year, and the status of Watson as the starting quarterback beyond 2024 is still up in the air. At this point, it is feeling quite overwhelming to think about how the Browns move forward into the future.

New WR Jerry Jeudy exits Cowboys game with leg injury

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy exited the Cowboys game with a leg injury.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy exited the Cowboys game during the waning seconds of the third quarter. Jeudy grabbed the back of his leg before he left for the medical tent.

The Browns traded for Jeudy in the offseason and gave him a modest extension before he played a snap for the team. Jeudy played well in his debut. The receiver had three receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown. The Browns offense struggled mightily with Deshaun Watson at quarterback.

Watson played horrendously in his first game back since shoulder injury. The quarterback is still an extremely slow processor on the field and an inconsistent passer. Watson short armed a few passes to open receivers during the game. The Browns offense only scored 10 points during the first three quarters due to his play.

Jeudy played well considering his quarterback struggled to throw the ball. A receiver can be easily limited by an inaccurate quarterback. Hopefully, the receiver can return to the team healthy.