Trade rumors swirled around former Denver Broncos first-round pick Jerry Jeudy for years before the club finally shipped him to Cleveland this past week for two late-round picks.
Jeudy was selected in John Elway's final draft before general manager George Paton took over in 2021, leading to rumors the team wanted to move on from the wideout. The noise only escalated last year when Sean Payton arrived. The Broncos, however, hung onto the Alabama product until this offseason.
Following the trade, Jeudy told the Cleveland media that it's good to be with a club that sought him out.
"I heard that the Browns were interested in me even two years ago," Jeudy said, via Kelsey Russo of the team's official website. "To actually be here, it's a surreal moment. So, I feel like I'm at the right spot because they have been trying to get me for a long time, so I feel like I'm wanted here. As a player, you always want to be in a place that you feel welcomed and want to make it feel like home and want to be wanted. And so having that feeling is great."
In four seasons in Denver, Jeudy showed flashes but never lived up to the first-round billing. Early in his career he dealt with injuries and the past couple of seasons saw ineffective play. He never hit the 1,000-yard plateau in the Mile High City, setting career highs of 972 yards, 67 catches and six touchdowns in 2022.
Lacking polished route-running, Jeudy is an athlete with speed and run-after-catch ability. Playing alongside Amari Cooper, the Browns project to use Jeudy as a field-stretching No. 2. His presence also allows Elijah Moore to man the slot more consistently in three-receiver sets.
"I feel like I could bring the same thing to the table -- get open, create separation and make plays after the catch," Jeudy said. "I feel like we got a great set of receiving corps that could bring all that to the table actually."
The Browns entered the offseason needing a legit No. 2 threat opposite Cooper, preferably a field stretcher. In obtaining Jeudy, they accomplished that goal for relatively cheap.
