Browns news: Joe Flacco, Christian Wilkins update in free agency rumor round-up

It's March 11th which means teams are now permitted to start talking to free agents, but can't make anything official until March 13. This "legal tampering period" really makes no sense but the league for some reason added it several years ago — and it seems to be here to stay. For the Cleveland Browns, they've been preparing to make some moves.

They cleared up space by restructuring several deals, and there could be more on the way. They also added Jerry Jeudy in a trade with the Denver Broncos.

Now, they're going to see which free agents they can add to round out their roster and today's new round-up has an article that digs into several rumors floating around.

Cleveland Browns news

Browns free agency rumors: What we are hearing, what is being said — Jared Mueller, Dawgs by Nature

"Cleveland has 'at least a third-round pick this year and something next year' on the table for Newsome with multiple teams interested. The Browns are not set on moving Newsome but there is a lot of logic to the move, overall, as the team looks to balance assets around the roster."

Greg Newsome's name continues to be floated as a potential trade piece and could help them recoup some of their lost capital from the Jerry Jeudy trade. Outside of this, Jared Mueller has other stories including a belief that Joe Flacco is all but gone and how much of a reality Christian Wilkins is — spoiler alert, they won't be alone if they start bidding. He also cites an article saying Justin Fields is not in the plans despite previous rumors.

Jerry Jeudy trade grades: Browns come out winners in deal for Broncos' former first-round pick — Jared Dublin, CBS Sports

"This is a good low-cost flier for the Browns. They did not give up much in the way of draft capital for Jeudy, who is a talented but nonetheless frustrating player. Still, trying to see if they can tap into something that the Broncos didn't is an idea that has a lot of merit. The only thing holding this from getting into the "A" range is Jeudy's fully guaranteed $13 million salary, which is an overpay if he performs like he has to date in his career."

Cleveland secured a B+ from Dublin on this trade and that's fair. Jerry Jeudy has talent and has shown flashes but he hasn't done enough to justify the $13 million. That grade is still far better than the D- the Broncos got. Sorry Sean Payton, this wasn't your best move. But at least it didn't end up costing them $84 million in dead money.

3 Cleveland Browns on the chopping block after Jeudy Trade — DPD

Adding Jerry Jeudy puts a few wide receivers on notice as they fall to the bottom of the depth chart. However, there are others on the team who might be impacted by his addition since the Browns suddenly have just five picks in the 2024 NFL Draft — and they're on the hook for his $13 million. They could be looking to shed some salary while re-stocking the draft cupboard as well.

UPDATED - Browns draft picks in 2024, 2025 and beyond: Full list — DPD

After making their move this past weekend, the Browns now have just five picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. We've updated our list to show which selections remain after sending a fifth and sixth to the Denver Broncos.

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