Small-market teams often have to deal with the burden of everyone trying to lure their stars away. Teams like the Cleveland Browns are never good enough from the outside looking in, and speculation always surrounds their best players.
That doesn't mean those players are properly valued. It's as if something must be wrong with them because they play for a struggling franchise like the Browns, so other teams should be able to steal them at a discounted price.
That's why, as infuriating as it may be for fans, it's actually not surprising to see it happen again, this time with Denzel Ward.
In his latest column, CBS Sports' Garrett Podell made a case for Ward as a potential trade candidate, and while that could make sense to a degree, the proposed compensation — a fourth-round pick — was borderline insulting.
"Ward is set to enter the penultimate season of a five-year, $100.5 million contract extension, and he doesn't have any guaranteed money remaining on the pact, which makes him extremely tradeable," Podell wrote, citing the San Francisco 49ers as his best landing spot. "Plus, Ward would probably rather learn a new defensive playbook on a team with a shot at the postseason in 2026 than the team with the worst quarterback room in the NFL."
Browns star Denzel Ward continues to be criminally underrated
The Browns may have every reason to consider trading Ward after parting ways with Myles Garrett, but that would have nothing to do with his age, contract, or performance. They would just be doing right by him if he wanted to leave — which he already said he doesn't — while collecting premium assets in return.
But why would the Browns even consider trading their defensive leader and a top-five cornerback for a fourth-round pick? It doesn't matter if 2027 is the single-greatest draft of all time, there's simply no logical reason to make that move.
The Browns will get plenty of cash off their books in the next couple of years, and most of their core is on rookie deals. Unlike most big-name players, Ward has actually embraced the city, fan base, and organization. He was born in Ohio and starred for the Buckeyes before landing in Cleveland at pick No. 4 overall in the 2018 draft.
This team and the fans would definitely understand if Ward decided that he no longer wants to play for a rebuilding/struggling franchise. He's earned that much. But even if that were the case, the Browns shouldn't just make a move for the sake of it. The timing and compensation have to be right, and it would have to be better than a fourth-round pick.
Ward isn't a perfect player, but he's still in his prime. He's never been the best at finishing plays and forcing turnovers (though he's had at least two interceptions in all but one season), but his ability to break up passes is second to none in the league. He's held opposing quarterbacks to a 54.6 percent completion rate with a 75.3 passer rating in eight years. That's just elite.
These lazy takes just reveal how criminally underrated Browns stars like Ward will always be. It also shows that national media rarely (if ever) watch the Browns play, and while it's hard to blame them, they should at least try to be less obvious about it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google