Browns Could See Significant Cap Relief Due To Insurance Policy On Deshaun Watson’s Contract; Latest On QB’s NFL Future
The Browns have added Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett to their quarterback room this offseason, and the club may still select a rookie passer in this month’s draft. Deshaun Watson has performed poorly during his Cleveland tenure, and with his 2025 availability in doubt, it is eminently possible that he will not play another down for the club.
Recent comments made by Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam – the first time anyone within the organization publicly admitted the historic and controversial Watson acquisition is a failure – further reinforce that possibility, as ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi writes. Of course, because of Watson’s contract – which was recently restructured for immediate salary cap relief – even a 2026 release with a post-June 1 designation would create a dead money charge of nearly $81MM without any cap savings.
As such, Oyefusi says Watson could stay on the Browns’ roster for the remainder of his thru-2026 deal, though any decisions in that regard will not be made for at least another year. Haslam said the team needs to determine Watson’s health status before making a call, and in the meantime, the 29-year-old passer is rehabbing his Achilles tear.
While the current financial picture related to Watson’s contract looks bleak, there is a real possibility that the situation will improve. We had previously touched on the insurance the club had taken out on Watson’s contract, and as Oyefusi reiterates, the insurance policy allowed Cleveland to obtain cap relief for 2024 after Watson missed 11 games due to injury in 2023. Likewise, the team has realized a small credit for the time Watson missed in 2024.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds further context. According to Florio, Watson’s deal contains an addendum that allows the team to recover over $58MM for an injury occurring between the start of the 2024 offseason program and the start of the 2025 offseason program (Watson sustained his season-ending Achilles tear in October 2024 and suffered a second tear in January 2025, and both occurrences fall within the addendum’s timeline). Most of the potential recovery (over $44MM) stems from Watson’s fully-guaranteed salary of $46MM for 2025.
In other words, if Watson is unable to play in 2025, and if the Browns’ prospective claim against the insurance policy is successful, Cleveland could get back over $44MM in cash with a corresponding credit to its cap sheet. Given the stakes involved, though, the insurance carrier may well attempt to find an exclusion or exception that would justify denial of the claim.
Assuming Watson does not engineer a dramatic turnaround to become a quality starting quarterback for the Browns, he will become a free agent at some point in the relatively near future. When that happens, he may not find another NFL opportunity.
Per Oysefusi, executives and agents from around the league have said it is possible that no team will bring Watson on board, even if he is completely healthy.
“If released, I don’t see anyone picking him up,” one NFC executive said. “And then, down the road, the question will be, will he take low-QB money? Would he even be motivated to play at that point?”
A prominent agent offered a different take, saying, “[t]he league is forgiving with quarterbacks that have exhibited high-level talent. There is a shortage of good QB play. That’s why I think a team could take a chance on him if he proves healthy. Some owners could have a problem with that because of the past, but not all.”
The agent makes a fair point, but it has been a few years since Watson has exhibited high-level talent. So while the Browns’ search for their next long-term quarterback and a way out of their now-infamous contractual misstep are the more pressing storylines, it is fair to wonder if Watson has already taken his last snap.
Browns, Giants Have Inquired About Trading For No. 1 Pick; Titans Never Considered Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers?
APRIL 13: Zac Jackson of The Athletic (subscription required) says the Titans appear sold on Ward. League sources have praised Ward’s maturity and the steady improvements he made over the course of his collegiate career, which leads clubs to believe he can thrive at the professional level.
Russini, on a recent episode of her Scoop City podcast, says it would take an historic offer to convince Tennessee to trade out of the No. 1 overall spot and forego its shot at Ward (video link). Russini adds that the reports of the Titans’ faith in Ward are real and are not part of the club’s effort to drive up the price for the top pick in the draft.
APRIL 6: The Browns and Giants, both still in need of a long-term quarterback despite offseason bridge additions, have inquired about trading up with the Titans to obtain the No. 1 overall pick in this month’s draft, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic (subscription required). We had previously heard Tennessee was fielding calls on that front, and it only makes sense that Cleveland (which presently holds the No. 2 overall pick) and New York (No. 3) would at least see what it would take to make a swap and put themselves in position to land Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the top QB in the 2025 class.
Less than two months ago, many around the league believed the rebuilding Titans would look to trade down, and the Giants were arguably the team most connected to a possible move up the board. The Browns, meanwhile, have been more closely linked to a Kirk Cousins pursuit than a trade for the No. 1 selection, with GM Andrew Berry recently confirming he is unlikely to swing a deal with Tennessee.
Interestingly, Howe says the Titans have not even determined what sort of compensation they would require to move down the board, which further strengthens the prevailing notion that they will select Ward with the top pick. And, contrary to pre-free agency rumors on the matter, Howe says Tennessee never got involved in the Sam Darnold sweepstakes, and he confirms the same is true of Aaron Rodgers. Of course, that represents yet another sign that Ward is Nashville-bound.
Recent reporting has pegged Cleveland as the likely destination for two-way phenom Travis Hunter, and the Giants – who have long been intrigued by Hunter’s collegiate teammate, quarterback Shedeur Sanders – would thus be in position to nab the polarizing passer. That would align with the belief that Big Blue is “praying” Cleveland takes a non-QB like Hunter so that Sanders will fall to No. 3.
On the other hand, New York is said to be “convinced” Cleveland – its professed comfort in having Kenny Pickett assume QB1 duties notwithstanding – will be the team to take Sanders. The Browns did indeed plan a private workout for Sanders, and according to Howe, the Giants will also meet again with the second-generation star prior to the draft.
With Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston having been added to the QB room in free agency, and with Wilson seemingly in the driver’s seat to serve as the starting quarterback regardless of how the draft unfolds, Giants GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll, who are both clinging to their jobs, may prefer to use the No. 3 pick on a player who can help the team win now rather than a high-upside project like Sanders. To that end, one team picking in the top-10 has told Howe that New York seems to be cooling on the idea of adding a signal-caller with its top draft choice.
Considering the Browns-Hunter connections that have recently emerged — supported by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, who says she no longer believes Cleveland will take a QB (video link) — Howe says if the Giants do not select Sanders with the No. 3 pick, they would likely take Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter (assuming Ward and Hunter are off the board by that time). Carter is seen as one of the draft’s best all-around prospects, and New York is one of the four clubs (along with the Titans, Browns, and Patriots) that secured a visit with him. That said, as our Sam Robinson noted when it became clear the Giants would host Carter, they are the team on Carter’s itinerary that would seemingly need him the least, given the presence of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Carter is nonetheless a blue chip talent, and if Hunter is gone by the time the Giants are on the clock, and if New York does not believe Sanders represents the best player available at No. 3, there is logic in nabbing the Penn State product. Or, if they feel Carter is not a great fit, the Giants could trade down themselves in an effort to collect more draft capital.
Prospect Profile: Nic Scourton
While much of the pre-draft focus coming out of College Station this year has been on likely first-round pass rusher Shemar Stewart, teammate of one year and fellow pass rusher Nic Scourton may quietly sneak into the first round with him. According to sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, Scourton has been getting some buzz as a potential late first-round pick recently with late-round teams like the Eagles and Ravens showing particular interest. 
While registering as a consensus four-star prospect coming out of Bryan HS (TX), Scourton only ranked as the 22nd best defensive line prospect in his class, per 247Sports. As a result, Scourton wasn’t recruited by many Power 5 schools coming out of high school. His only in-state offers came from SMU, North Texas, and UTSA, and his biggest offers came from Purdue, Colorado State, Memphis, and Marshall. As his only Power 5 offer, the Boilermakers landed his commitment.
Coming off the bench as a true freshman, Scourton still found a way to make an impact. His 22 tackles were the most for a freshman defensive lineman at Purdue since George Karlaftis three years earlier, and he notched two sacks in the team’s last two games of the year. In 2023, Scourton took on a starting role and graded out as the team’s second-best defender that season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In only 11 games, he led the Big Ten in sacks (10.0) and was fourth in the conference in tackles for loss (15.0), earning second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Coming off his successful sophomore campaign, Scourton opted to jump into the transfer portal for what would seemingly be his final year of collegiate play. Despite their campus being a mere three miles from his high school, Texas A&M didn’t recruit Scourton out of high school, but he overlooked that fact in favor of a homecoming for his junior year, committing to transfer to the Aggies.
Because Stewart struggled to produce throughout his time in College Station, it’s no surprise that Scourton came in and led the Aggies in sacks (5.0) and tackles for loss (14.0) in 2024. Starting 12 games for Texas A&M, he graded out as the third-best player on the Aggies defense and the 48th-best edge defender in the country, per PFF.
Neither ESPN’s Matt Miller nor Dane Brugler of The Athletic have Scourton ranked as one of their top 10 edge defenders. Brugler slots him in at 12th for the position, citing some bad weight and a lack of ideal length on his frame as some issues limiting his ranking. Still, Scourton’s thick build can be beneficial at the next level, granted he puts on the right kind of weight. The size does help him as an above-average run defender, though he still profiles as a pass rusher who could stand to add some more elegant moves to his arsenal.
As Pauline mentioned above, Scourton received a top-30 visit with the Eagles this past Thursday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted his presence with the Browns on Tuesday, and Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 also logged meetings with the Cardinals, Texans, and Patriots.
What most all of these teams have in common is that they reside around the late-first round and early-second round, giving us a good idea of where he could fall in two weeks. While he maybe didn’t capitalize on his lone year back in the College Station area, it seems teams and their scouts are willing to look over this past season to see the potential production he displayed at Purdue in 2023. As a result, he may just find himself being selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
OL Rumors: Neal, Banks, Teller, 49ers
Evan Neal came into the NFL with some guard experience, playing there at points at Alabama. Some evaluators viewed that as the former high-end prospect’s better NFL spot. After faceplanting at tackle, Neal may have no choice. This could be where the situation is headed, as ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan labels Neal as “destined” to slide to guard. GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll said Neal is open to playing guard or tackle. The Giants have Jermaine Eluemunor at RT presently, assuming Andrew Thomas stays healthy, and a soon-to-be 35-year-old (Greg Van Roten) at RG. Schoen resisted moving Neal to guard in the past, but with the Alabama alum being a major disappointment as a pro, a starter-to-bullpen-like switch may be necessary as a last-ditch measure.
Although the Giants re-signed Van Roten to a one-year, $3.25MM deal, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan points to a potential early-round guard pick to learn from the veteran. This would cloud Neal’s status further, though the Giants already missed on a Schoen-era Day 2 guard pick (Joshua Ezeudu). Here is the latest from the O-line landscape:
- Despite extensive work already, the Texans also look to be ready to add an early-round O-lineman. Holding four top-90 picks, Houston should be considered likely to use one on a blocker, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller notes. One target appears to be Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., as Miller indicates “numerous scouts” point to the Texans being high on the ex-Longhorns tackle. Ranked 31st on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Banks was a former five-star recruit who claimed the Outland Trophy last season. Some teams view Banks as a better guard, per Jeremiah, but others may hold him in higher regard. Although the Texans could be eyeing him as a long-term answer at guard or left tackle, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill notes some view a landing with the Jets at No. 7 as realistic. After drafting Olu Fashanu in last year’s first round, New York needs a right tackle to replace Morgan Moses.
- The Browns now have three experienced guards, having added Teven Jenkins on just a one-year deal worth $3.1MM. This could point Wyatt Teller to a crossroads after he missed time in 2024, but GM Andrew Berry expects (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) the veteran starter to be back in 2025. A two-time second-team All-Pro who has received three Pro Bowl invites, Teller played a key role for the Browns during the decade’s first half. Teller, 30, also only missed four games last season. He is entering a contract year, but the Browns’ penchant for void years would create considerable dead money in the event of a trade or release. That said, Cleveland can save more than $7MM by trading Teller after June 1. Doing so would clear a spot for Jenkins, as Joel Bitonio is set to play at least one more season.
- Joining Jenkins as a three-year guard starter from the 2021 second round, Aaron Banks signed a big-ticket Packers deal. This leaves the 49ers with a key player to replace. Despite Spencer Burford‘s past as a starting guard, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows views Ben Bartch and Nick Zakelj as the players set to compete to start opposite Dominick Puni. Re-signed to a one-year, $1.34MM deal, Bartch is a 20-game starter; Zakelj — a 2022 sixth-rounder — has two career starts. Matt Hennessy, a former Falcons starting center, may factor into this competition as well, Kyle Shanahan said (via Barrows).
- As for Burford, he may be ticketed to be San Francisco’s swing tackle after practicing more there than guard down the stretch last year, Barrows adds. Burford played tackle in college. He would be set to replace Jaylon Moore, whom the 49ers wanted to keep. They did not appear close to matching the Chiefs’ two-year, $30MM offer. “I knew we had a really good roster, but I didn’t know our swing tackle would make $15MM on the free agent market,” John Lynch said. Burford has made 29 career starts, while the Chiefs will bet on Moore (five starts) to stop a left tackle revolving door.
Browns Bring Back QB Joe Flacco
10:50pm: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the Flacco deal will pay out $6MM if he operates as the Browns’ starter and the team does not reach the playoffs. A starting gig which does produce a postseason berth, meanwhile, will see him earn $8MM. Flacco would need to earn first-team All-Pro honors to achieve the maximum $13MM, an entirely unrealistic scenario for the zero-time Pro Bowler. If he can duplicate the success of his first Cleveland stint, though, Flacco can notably add to his career earnings.
8:02am: Joe Flacco will return to Cleveland for 2025. The 40-year-old quarterback has an agreement in place with the Browns, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move is now official.
This will be a one-year deal with a base value of $4MM, per Flacco’s agency. The pact can be worth up to $13MM thanks to incentives. After taking over starting duties late in the 2023 campaign, the former Super Bowl MVP will now return to the Browns as they continue to sort out their quarterback situation. 
Deshaun Watson‘s second Achilles tear threatens to keep him sidelined for the entire 2025 campaign. As a result, the Browns have been active in pursuing veteran help under center, trading for former Steelers first-rounder Kenny Pickett earlier this offseason. More moves were expected, although signs pointed against the No. 2 pick in this month’s draft being devoted to a signal-caller. This deal represents another indication that will be the case.
Flacco’s time atop the depth chart with the Ravens ended with a knee injury midway through the 2018 campaign. Then-rookie Lamar Jackson replaced him in the lineup and has remained the starter ever since. After the season, Flacco was dealt to the Broncos, although his one-and-done Denver campaign did not go according to plan. The former first-rounder then saw time with the Jets and Eagles, making nine starts between 2020-22.
Uncertainty loomed over Flacco’s NFL future, but the Browns represented an opportunity to continue his career once Watson went down in 2023. The Delaware product was initially brought in as veteran insurance, but he quickly locked down the QB1 gig and helped lead Cleveland to the playoffs. Flacco averaged 323 yards per game and threw 13 touchdown passes in five regular season games, but interceptions proved to be a problem then and in the team’s wild-card loss to the Texans.
Flacco preferred to remain with the Browns for 2024, but he wound up taking a one-year Colts deal after Indianapolis was priced out of Gardner Minshew‘s market. Anthony Richardson began the season atop the depth chart, but the former No. 4 pick was benched at one point and again missed time due to injury. That allowed Flacco to made six starts, bringing his career total to 191. That figure could rise even further in 2025.
Pickett is now joined by Flacco as a healthy Browns quarterback option. Cleveland has been linked to a pursuit of Kirk Cousins, who is seeking a fresh start after being demoted to backup by the Falcons. A trade after the draft is still possible at this point since Atlanta is open to entertaining it, but especially if the Browns add a developmental passer sometime during the draft the market for Cousins will be quite limited. In any case, Flacco – who posted a 90.5 passer rating in 2024 – will be a familiar option for head coach Kevin Stefanski and Co.
Interestingly, Schefter adds Flacco also spoke with the Steelers and Vikings prior to making his Cleveland return. Pittsburgh is of course still linked to Aaron Rodgers as the team seeks a short-term starter; Rodgers’ preferred destination, meanwhile is Minnesota. The Vikings (barring a Rodgers deal) are set to hand the reins over to J.J. McCarthy in 2025, but they are clearly on the lookout for a veteran. Flacco could have fulfilled that role, but instead he will compete for playing time in Cleveland.
Draft Rumors: Dolphins, Johnson, Harmon
The Dolphins are reportedly doing some homework on high-ranked tight end prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft. Though, at No. 13 overall, Miami may be out of range of top tight end prospect Tyler Warren of Penn State, the team took a look at two options that could be around for their second-round pick.
According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, LSU’s Mason Taylor was onsite yesterday. Taylor is the son of Dolphins legend Jason Taylor. The younger Taylor is projected to be a fringe first-round prospect, but with tight ends, the ranges can certainly be wider. Taylor did a top-30 visit with the Browns on Monday and has also visited the Seahawks and Chargers.
Earlier this week, the Dolphins also hosted local tight prospect Elijah Arroyo out of Miami (FL), per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Arroyo had a breakout season for the Hurricanes this year and caught lots of attention at the Senior Bowl. After visiting Miami on Monday, Arroyo met with the Browns on Tuesday and Giants on Wednesday. Mike Cugno of CBS Sports adds that teammates Xavier Restrepo and Arroyo have both spent plenty of time around the Dolphins facility in the last couple of days.
Miami saw veteran Jonnu Smith rival Tyreek Hill in the receiving game for the Dolphins last year, but Smith’s contract expires after this season, so Taylor or Arroyo may be viewed as strong TE2 options or potential tight ends of the future.
Here are a few other draft visits we’ve seen reported in recent days:
- All-American running back Kaleb Johnson has been making the rounds lately. After visiting the Steelers last weekend, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 adds that Johnson has visited the Titans, Broncos, Texans, and Bengals. Johnson is widely considered the third-best running back prospect in the class behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton. Based on interest from the Titans, Johnson could go anywhere from the early-second to early-third round.
- Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon visited the Jets yesterday. He hasn’t often been mocked in range of the Jets‘ No. 7 overall pick so far, but he could certainly be a candidate to find New York early in the second round or perhaps in the late-first, should the Jets opt to trade back up. Garafolo notes that Harmon has also visited the Browns and Steelers this week.
Browns To Host S Rayshawn Jenkins
Rayshawn Jenkins has been a free agent since his Seahawks release last month. The veteran safety has now lined up his first known visit since being let go, however. 
Jenkins will meet with the Browns today, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. The 31-year-old was one of several veterans cut in a cost-shedding move by Seattle, leaving him available to join a new team prior to the start of free agency. That did not take place, and with the draft looming little movement is expected at any position at this point of the offseason.
A fourth-round pick of the Chargers in 2017, Jenkins played out his rookie contract in Los Angeles. During the final two seasons of that stretch, he operated as a full-time starter and helped his free agent stock in the process. The Miami product took a four-year, $35MM pact with the Jaguars when he reached the market for the first time. Jenkins was a mainstay in the secondary during his time in Duval County, recording five interceptions and twice eclipsing 100 tackles.
Jacksonville’s decision to move on with one season remaining on his pact led to Jenkins’ 2024 Seahawks stint. During his only Seattle campaign, he made nine starts and 13 appearances, collecting 53 tackles, a pair of sacks and a 102-yard fumble recovery. Jenkins allowed a career-worst passer rating (113.6) in coverage, however, something which played a role in his latest release. He would give the Browns a veteran presence in the secondary in the event today’s visit produced a deal, though.
Cleveland lost D’Anthony Bell in free agency, and to no surprise Rodney McLeod – who stated an intention of retiring after the 2024 campaign – has not been re-signed. The Browns have Grant Delpit attached to the $12MM-per-year extension he signed in 2023, along with low-cost options in the form of Ronnie Hickman, Trey Dean and Chris Edmonds. Jenkins should not be in position to command a lucrative deal at this point in his career, so he could be an affordable starting-caliber option for the team. The Browns entered Friday with roughly $19.5MM in cap space, more than enough to work out an agreement if one is pursued.
AFC North Draft Rumors: Browns, Bengals, Steelers, Ravens
Recently, we saw the Browns host a few probable Day 2 quarterback prospects, and it made us think that Cleveland is less likely to select Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and more likely to take his teammate Travis Hunter or Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter then pick a quarterback at the top of the second round. During an interview on ESPN’s The Daily Grossi, Tony Grossi seemed to support this notion.
Grossi seemed to confirm that the Browns like Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe “a lot” and that they could easily select him near the second round after addressing another position at No. 2 overall. I say “near the second round” because it’s likely that Cleveland could trade up a short distance back into the first round to secure a fifth-round option for a young passer.
This fits well with Milroe’s projected draft range, which Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports puts anywhere from pick No. 20 overall to pick No. 50. Cleveland holds the first pick of the second round (No. 33 overall).
Here are a few other draft rumors coming out of the AFC North division:
- After spending most of their offseason so far (and a huge portion of their salary cap) on the wide receiver position, the Bengals are expected to use most of their six draft picks on defense, according to Jordan Reid of ESPN. With the team so far failing to reach a new agreement with defensive end Trey Hendrickson and potentially even including him in a Draft Day trade deal, defensive end could be an obvious target in the first round. Tony Pauline of sportskeeda predicts that if Cincinatti does go pass rusher, assuming Carter and Georgia’s Mykel Williams are already off the table, it could trigger a run of pass rushers instead of allowing them to continue to slide later and later into the first round.
- While the Steelers are expected to spend one of their two picks in the first three rounds of the draft on a quarterback, Reid claims that they could use the other on a defensive tackle or wide receiver. The team has done plenty of research on both positions, notably checking out defensive tackles Joshua Farmer from Florida State and JJ Pegues from Ole Miss and wide receivers Matthew Golden from Texas and Savion Williams from TCU.
- Lastly, ESPN’s Jamison Hensley predicts that the most likely first-round scenario sees the Ravens bolstering their defensive line. Kyle Van Noy returns after giving the team 21.5 sacks in the last two years, and Odafe Oweh finally broke out with a 10.0-sack performance in 2024, but David Ojabo and Adisa Isaac — both drafted in the top three rounds of their respective drafts — have yet to make an impact. With Michael Pierce retiring and Travis Jones entering a contract year, defensive tackle could make a lot of sense. The first round is extremely deep at the position with players like Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen, and Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams all projected to be selected somewhere around Baltimore’s 27th overall pick. More likely, though, the Ravens tend to let the draft fall to them and select the best player available regardless of position. With few true holes on the roster, this should give them a bevy of options.
Teams Unlikely To Trade Much In First Round of Draft
We’ve seen a common refrain bouncing around with several teams in the leadup to the 2025 NFL Draft: (input team here) is a likely candidate to trade down. The reason for this stems from a view that this year’s draft class lacks elite, top-end talent but boasts enough starting-caliber players to last well into the third round. Because of this, teams don’t seem to be valuing early draft picks as much, instead looking to acquire as many picks as possible.
Unfortunately, though, when so many teams are looking to trade down, it makes it harder to do so. That lack of elite, top-end players in the first round is going to make it difficult to find suitors to trade up with. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht was quoted today saying that “he doesn’t foresee…many teams wanting to trade up across the league,” per the PewterReport X account. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport seemed to agree, claiming that “not a lot of teams are trying to move up.”
This doesn’t mean that no teams are going to trade up. A couple teams may fall in love with a certain player enough to chase him up the draft board. More likely, though, in the back half of the first round, teams targeting specific positions are going to want to trade into the first round to take players at those positions, especially if those teams currently reside at the top of the second round. Specifically, positions with the most expensive contracts, like quarterbacks and offensive tackles, could see prospects targeted by trading back into the first round.
This is because first-round picks are granted a fifth-year option that the rest of the draft class doesn’t get in its contracts. Passers and bookend blockers can be expensive to retain on second contracts, so having an extra year to work out contract extensions can be crucial. Similarly, quarterbacks and tackles are often the most likely candidates to be asked to sit and develop in the early years of their contracts. Having that fifth-year option gives teams an extra year to help determine if they want to keep a developing player long-term.
ESPN enlisted the help of multiple beat reporters to give some intel into what they’re hearing about their respective teams, and four of them fell into this group mentioned in the last paragraph. Jordan Reid believed the Browns and Giants could both trade back into the first round for a passer after using their Nos. 2 & 3 picks on Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter. Other teams could trade up for different positions but for the same reason. Matt Miller claimed that the Titans could trade up for a wide receiver at the end of the first round and that the Bears could do the same for a pass rusher.
There are several teams with a limited number of picks — Cardinals (6), Vikings (4), and Commanders (5) — that Reid and Miller identify as teams who could be easy targets to trade up with for the four teams mentioned above. Those teams should have their pick of the litter with so many others wanting to trade back, but with Arizona, Minnesota, and Washington so lacking in picks, teams looking to trade up may get more bang for their buck from that trio.
Browns Host Several QB Prospects; Raiders To Meet With Jaxson Dart
Tuesday was a busy day in Cleveland, where the Browns hosted a number of quarterback prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft. According to a few different sources, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, and Louisville’s Tyler Shough all were on site for visits in Cleveland today. 
Don’t be mistaken, despite recent buzz for Dart and Milroe as potential first-rounders, neither player is likely being considered a target at No. 2 overall. More likely, the Browns are exploring the possibility of utilizing their current first-round pick on one of either Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado athlete Travis Hunter then either taking a quarterback at the top of the second round or trading back into the first round for one.
Dart seems like the least likely to land in Cleveland. In order to draft Dart, it’s starting to look like the Browns would need to trade well into the first round. Dart has been noted as a player under consideration as the Saints (No. 9 overall pick) explore their options for a quarterback of the future. If Dart gets passed over in favor of a sliding Shedeur Sanders or some other prospect, the Steelers could move on the Ole Miss product to take over after Aaron Rodgers (or if Rodgers never signs). After visiting with the Browns today, Dart will visit next with the Raiders, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s also spent “considerable time” with the Giants and Rams.
If Dart does go to New Orleans or some other team early, the Steelers have also been linked to Milroe. Pittsburgh really likes Milroe due to his elite athleticism. The Alabama product has plenty of shortcomings as a quarterback prospect, but many believe that, if they can coach up some of those areas of concern, his athleticism will be too big of an asset to pass up. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Milroe had private workouts with both Cleveland and New Orleans that were described as “impressive.” Today’s top-30 visit with the Browns was reported by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Cabot also reported Shough’s participation.
Shough has not really been the subject of many rumblings about the first round, but as a quarterback, he may just sneak in. Should Cam Ward, Sanders, Dart, and Milroe all come off the board after Pittsburgh is done selecting at No. 21 overall, the Browns may find it safe to trade up a pick or two into the first round to take Shough.
While it would be a safe bet that Shough could fall to them at the top of the second round, moving up slightly likely wouldn’t cost Cleveland too much draft capital. Also, trading into the first round for any of the above prospects would provide Cleveland the luxury of a fifth-year option, giving them more time to develop whatever young passer they may acquire.