Greg Newsome‘s name came up in trade rumors this offseason, but Browns general manager Andrew Berry made it clear before the draft the team would not consider moving him. Shortly thereafter, Cleveland made a short-term commitment to the former first-round corner.

As expected, Newsome had his fifth-year option picked up. That decision locks him into a guaranteed salary of $13.38MM for 2025 – a steep raise compared to the value of his rookie pact. Still, a second contract would likely come in at a higher rate, something which would be a complicated investment on Cleveland’s part. The team already has Denzel Ward on the books at $20.1MM per year, and fellow corner Martin Emerson Jr. will be eligible for his own extension next offseason.

Nevertheless, Newsome is interested in remaining with the Browns for years to come. The 23-year-old enjoyed a career year in 2023, playing a key role on the team’s elite defense. Newsome recorded his first two interceptions, adding 14 pass breakups and 49 tackles. The Northwestern product also allowed a 74.8 passer rating in coverage, the best mark of his NFL tenure to date. He is hoping to parlay that success into a multi-year agreement, though no discussions on that front have taken place yet.

“Extension-wise, we haven’t really talked about that,” Newsome said, via Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. “Honestly, I’m just focused on trying to get us as high as we can this year and whatever happens after that happens. But like I said before, I would love to be a Cleveland Brown for life.”

Cleveland led the league in passing yards against last season (165), and the Ward-Emerson-Newsome trio will again be counted on to play a major part in the team’s success on defense in 2024. The latter’s long-term status will be worth watching, though, and it will be interesting to see if his desire to remain in place for years to come is reciprocated by the team.

The Browns will soon have a decision to make on Greg Newsome‘s fifth-year option. A recent report indicated Cleveland is expected to pick up the 23-year-old cornerback’s option, and general manager Andrew Berry‘s public comments on his future point further in that direction.

During a pre-draft press conference, Berry said (via 850 ESPN’s Tony Grossi) he does not wish to trade Newsome. Given the latter’s age and status as a starting member of the Browns’ secondary, that comes as little surprise. Still, The Browns already have one lucrative commitment at the cornerback spot in Denzel Ward, who is attached to a $20.1MM-per-year deal. Exercising Newsome’s $13.38MM 2025 option would add considerably to the cap charges in Cleveland’s secondary.

The team also has 2022 third-rounder Martin Emerson in the fold at CB, and he has proven to be an impactful producer in the defensive backfield. Emerson has amassed 29 pass deflections over his first two seasons in the NFL, and in 2023 he led the team with four interceptions. The Mississippi State product will be eligible for an extension next offseason, and he could be in line for a lucrative new deal. That, in turn, would further complicate the matter of retaining Newsome for years to come.

The latter has not been able to match Emerson’s ball production to date, and his only two career interceptions came last season. Newsome did record a new personal best in tackles (49) in 2023, though, and he improved in coverage. The Northwestern product allowed a 56.7% completion percentage and a 74.8 passer rating as the nearest defender, leading to an overall PFF grade (69.6) in line with that of his previous campaigns.

The Browns will have the Ward-Emerson-Newsome trio in place for at least one more season, but its up-and-coming members will become expensive shortly if their strong play continues. Cleveland drafted Cameron Mitchell in the fifth round last year, and he saw a rotational defensive role as a rookie. If the Browns – a team which does not own a Day 1 selection but is positioned to retain its second-round selection – add further in the secondary, options could be in place to take over following a Newsome departure via trade or free agency. As things currently stand, though, he is firmly in the team’s plans.

Shortly after the upcoming draft, teams will have key decisions to make by exercising or declining the fifth-year options on 2021 first-round picks. The Browns will need to wait quite some time before finding themselves in the same situation given their lack of Day 1 selections over the past three years, but the team appears to have chosen a direction in the case of Greg Newsome.

Cleveland is expected to pick up the 23-year-old cornerback’s option, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes. Newsome does not have a Pro Bowl invitation on his resume, but he has been a mainstay in the Browns’ backfield in each of his three seasons (logging a snap share of at least 86% every year). As a result, his 2025 option will cost $13.38MM.

Newsome played primarily on the outside as a rookie, but in 2022 he split his time relatively evenly between the slot and the perimeter. The arrival of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz led to the expectation fellow starters Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson would see notable time on the inside this past season. In spite of that, Newsome did wind up logging more time in the slot than on the outside.

The Northwestern product recorded his first career interception in 2023; his ball production also included a personal best 14 pass deflections. In coverage, Newsome allowed a completion percentage of 56.7% and a passer rating of 74.8 as the nearest defender. Those marks were also the best in his Cleveland tenure to date, and they produced a PFF grade of 69.6 (in line with those of his previous campaigns). Given his age and statistical output, keeping Newsome in the fold for at least the next two years would be a reasonable decision.

However, the Browns already have Ward attached to a $20.1MM-per-year deal, and Emerson (who notched four interceptions last season) will be eligible for an extension as early as next year. Especially given the cap constraints brought about by quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s fully guaranteed contract, keeping all three CB starters on the books over the long term would be challenging.

Acquiring Watson cost Cleveland its first-round pick in 2022, ’23 and ’24. As such, the team will need to wait several years before making a fifth-year option decision again. In Newsome’s case, though, signs are pointing to at least a short-term move keeping him in the fold. A final decision will need to be made no later than the May 2 deadline.