The Cleveland Browns put a heavy focus on fixing the wide receiver room this offseason, and that work figures to continue in 2027.
It’s never too early to be eyeing future targets, and Dallas Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones reminded the NFL world of a big one this week in his latest on George Pickens.
Speaking on the DLLS Cowboys podcast, Jones acknowledged that paying both Pickens and CeeDee Lamb at the top of the current wide receiver market would be almost unheard of in the NFL.
"You look at the situation we have with George Pickens, going alongside CeeDee, most teams — I don't know of any teams that really can pay two top receivers top of the market. So that's going to be a real difficult situation as we move forward.”
If the Cowboys can’t sign George Pickens, Todd Monken and the Cleveland Browns should be first in line
If Pickens hits the trade or free agent market in 2027, it would make sense for the Browns to be top suitors.
Browns head coach Todd Monken was the offensive coordinator for Georgia in 2020 and 2021 when Pickens was in the Bulldogs’ wide receiver room. There’s some familiarity there, and a trio of Pickens, Denzel Boston, and KC Concepcion would be a scary proposition for opposing defenses.
Either way, the Browns will likely be in the market for a splash move at wide receiver next offseason.
Three of Cleveland’s six wideouts on this year’s initial 53-man roster were newcomers in Concepcion, Boston, and Tylan Wallace. By this time next year, there’s a possibility that only Concepcion and Boston, the Browns’ pair of 2026 draft picks, remain.
Veteran Jerry Jeudy is technically signed through the 2027 season, but he’s due to earn about $23 million next year, per Spotrac. That’s a near $9 million bump from his 2026 salary.
Both Wallace and Malachi Corley are little more than core special teams players. Isaiah Bond, an undrafted wideout from the 2025 class, could end up sticking around if he takes strides this year, but the team doesn’t have anything of substance invested in him at this point.
The Browns will be well set up financially to make a George Pickens-sized move
With Deshaun Watson coming off the books, the Browns currently rank 23rd in the NFL in total cash allocated to player salaries in 2027. There should be plenty of room in the budget for GM Andrew Berry to be, as he called it, "hyper-aggressive" on top outside options.
Pickens recently signed a fully-guaranteed, $27.2 million franchise tag for the 2026 season with the Cowboys, but the chances of re-signing with Dallas appear to be slim.
Lamb is a big reason why. His current contract is running out of guarantees and carries a massive $46 million cap hit for the 2027 season. Dallas will have to explore either a restructure or extension to get that number into a more reasonable range.
The other factor is Picken' looming new money. A second straight franchise tag would cost the Cowboys over $32 million fully guaranteed, a sum teams would rather pay in the form of a signing bonus than a deal with no future security. Things could get extremely awkward with Lamb, though, if Pickens signs for a higher annual salary than Dallas’ longtime No. 1 wideout.
The Browns have the financial flexibility, roster need, and head coach connection to lure Pickens to Cleveland. The Cowboys have been refusing to play ball on an extension for the 25-year-old, and Jones already seems to be hinting at what’s coming next.
It could all potentially lead to a golden opportunity for the Browns to add a player who could help take their blossoming skill position group to another level.
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