Denzel Ward is one of the most underrated players in the world. He's been a stalwart of the Cleveland Browns' strong secondary since he entered the league, not to mention a fan favorite and one of the team's top locker room leaders.
However, Ward's contract situation has had him tangled up in trade rumors for a while now. He was a projected salary cap casualty before the start of the new league year, and while no move seems imminent, everything could be on the table for the Browns ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Considering that, FOX Sports analyst Ralph Vacchiano believes the Chicago Bears could make an offer too good for Cleveland to turn down. In this hypothetical proposal, the Bears send a 2026 third-round pick (No. 89 overall) and a 2027 sixth-round pick in exchange for Ward.
Browns GM Andrew Berry might be tempted to say yes if such an offer comes across his desk next week.
"Ward is a five-time Pro Bowler who is still only 29, and the Browns would be smart to dump the remaining two years of his contract to free up some salary cap space," Vacchiano argued.
Moving on from Denzel Ward wouldn’t be an easy decision for the Browns
The Browns could have saved $17.4 million in cap space by designating Denzel Ward a post-June 1 release, per Over the Cap. The fact that they held onto him shows that they still believe in him as the anchor of their secondary.
Ward is coming off a down year by his standards, though. He is entering his age-29 season and missed a couple of games in 2025 due to a calf injury. That doesn't mean he's not still elite or that the Browns should definitely move him this offseason, but players are often seen more as assets than human beings, and the advanced metrics aren't especially favorable.
According to Pro Football Focus, Ward went from being the No. 44 cornerback in the league in 2024 to No. 70 last season. PFF's metrics are far from flawless — he was named to his third straight Pro Bowl this past year — but Ward did give up 32 receptions and missed 10 tackles in 2025.
In an ideal world, Ward will still be a Brown in Week 1 and for the remainder of his career. But if the Browns want to trade or replace him at some point, it's hard to believe his market value will ever be higher, and it would only cost the team an additional $1.2 million in 2026 cap space to trade him prior to the draft, per OTC.
This hypothetical may represent the best return the Browns could get for Ward's services this year.