3 reasons Cleveland Browns should not trade Denzel Ward

The Cleveland Browns have an elite cornerback in Denzel Ward and there are three key reasons why the team shouldn’t even entertain a trade for him.

The Cleveland Browns are finally getting into a position where they appear to be on the upward path to competing for a Super Bowl for years to come. General manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski are finally assembling the roster they want and with the addition of a few more pieces, it can be the one to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

One key piece to the roster is cornerback Denzel Ward, who as of now, will play the 2022 season on his fifth-year option unless his camp and the Browns can come up with an extension number. Last week, the Miami Dolphins might have complicated matters unintentionally as they gave star cornerback Xavien Howard a five-year, $90 million extension.

Clearly, Ward will want something similar to that for his services over the first four seasons of his career. Ward, an Ohio native, would presumably like to stay with the Browns, but the numbers might not be in his favor. Ward and his representatives will want top-dollar, but it is unknown at this time if the Browns will match said offer.

There is an option where Ward could play out his fifth-year option next season and the two sides can come back to the negotiating table once the season is over. With that scenario comes the option of the franchise tag, which would keep Ward in Cleveland for at least one more season, and then the two parties could get back to the nitty-gritty.

There are three key reasons why the Browns should not entertain the thought of trading Ward, no matter how good the offer could be. Let’s get to them.