The Cleveland Browns have one of the best defenses in the league. Myles Garrett gets most of the credit for that, and rightfully so, but the Browns have another star on defense besides their all-world pass rusher.
Denzel Ward doesn't get as much credit as he deserves. While not much of a ball-hawk, he's an elite disruptor who can hold his own against the crème of the crop. That's why he wouldn't last long in free agency if the Browns were to part ways with him.
Considering that, Matt Sidney of GMEN HQ chose the Browns' star cornerback as one of the potential salary cap casualties John Harbaugh's team should keep a close eye on as they navigate the offseason.
"Who knows better than John Harbaugh how frustrating it is to play against Ward? He’s an intriguing candidate. He had a down year in 2025, yet he would instantly become the best cornerback on the Giants’ roster."
How Cleveland’s finances could hand Harbaugh an opening
Harbaugh saw Browns' new head coach Todd Monken steal most of his offensive assistants, so taking one of his best players would be sweet revenge. Also, he'd be a massive upgrade over Paulson Adebo and Cor'Dale Flott.
From a football perspective, there's no legitimate reason to even consider parting ways with Ward. Unfortunately, that's not the case with finances. According to Over the Cap, the Browns only have $3.2 million in available cap space.
Cutting ties with Ward would free up an additional $3.2 million before June 1 or $19.29 million with a post-June 1 designation. The same applies to a trade, so the Browns could also try to get something in return for his services.
Even so, the Browns don't have much depth at cornerback besides Ward and Tyson Campbell. They will probably re-sign Martin Emerson Jr., but he's a bit of a question mark after missing the entire 2025 season with an injury.
Even in a down year, Ward was significantly better than the average cornerback. He gave up 38 receptions on 62 targets for a 61.3 percent catch rate, the worst of his career. Even so, he bounced back and gave up only 380 yards and three touchdowns after allowing 716 yards and four scores in 2024.
The Browns added a passing game specialist as their new defensive coordinator, and it's hard to envision Ward not being a big part of Mike Rutenberg's plan. That said, there's only so much money to spread around, and if they have no choice but to move on from him, the Giants could be one of the more aggressive teams trying to get him.