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Rayshawn Jenkins

Browns Expected To Make One Or Two More Deals Before Deadline; Fire Sale Unlikely

October 19th, 2025 at 12:11pm CST by Rory Parks

The Browns have swung two trades in October, dealing quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals as part of a Day 3 pick swap in 2026 and trading contract-year cornerback Greg Newsome II  to the Jaguars for fellow cornerback Tyson Campbell (that deal also included a 2026 Day 3 pick swap). Zac Jackson of The Athletic (subscription required) unsurprisingly believes Cleveland, which is currently sitting at 1-5, will continue to operate as a seller as we approach the November 4 trade deadline.

Jackson does not expect a full fire sale, however. Instead, he anticipates one or two more trades as the Browns attempt to extract some value for their older players while looking ahead to 2026 and beyond. As Jackson observes in a separate subscribers-only piece, Cleveland already has 10 picks in next year’s draft, which is probably too many to be useful, even for a rebuilding club. That is presumably one of the reasons why he does not expect a flurry of trade activity.

As for who could be on the move, Jackson identifies running back Jerome Ford, whose name has already cropped up in trade rumors, as a clear trade candidate. Tight end David Njoku has also been rumored as a player who could be dealt, and Jackson confirms the longtime Brown may be in the final stretch of his Cleveland tenure (though he also leaves open the possibility that player and team could work out another contract extension).

Both Njoku and Ford have seen rookies (Harold Fannin and Quinshon Judkins, respectively) eat into their playing time, and as both veterans are on expiring deals, their status as potential trade bait is apparent. Offensive linemen Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, Joel Bitonio, and Jack Conklin are also impending free agents whom Jackson names as potential targets for OL-needy clubs. Jackson views a Bitonio trade as improbable since the front office would need to negotiate with an interested team as well as the 12th-year Brown – who is considered likely to retire at season’s end – and his family.

Other contract-year veterans with varying degrees of trade-worthiness include DE Alex Wright – whom Jackson views as a player who will generate some interest given his position and the fact that he profiles as an inexpensive rental – DT Shelby Harris, LB Jerome Baker, S Rayshawn Jenkins, and P Corey Bojorquez. And, while Jackson acknowledges a trade of WR Jerry Jeudy or DE Myles Garrett is unlikely, he does include them on his list of trade candidates.

Despite an offseason trade request and a report that he was not open to a new deal with the Browns, Garrett and Cleveland came together on a record-setting contract in early March. Cleveland did not really consider moving Garrett even after his trade demand, and given that the ink is barely dry on his mega-deal, the dead money cost of a trade within the next couple of weeks could be prohibitive. That said, if a team were to pony up three first-round picks, that could change Cleveland’s calculus.

After a Pro Bowl performance in 2024, in which the former first-round pick of the Broncos finally lived up to his considerable potential, Jeudy has been a disappointment in 2025, largely as a result of his struggles with dropped passes and penalties. Cleveland would be selling low on the Alabama product, whom they signed to a three-year, $52.5MM deal ($41MM guaranteed) last March. Jackson therefore thinks a trade probably will not come together, but if a team thinking Jeudy just needs another change of scenery came calling, Jackson suggests GM Andrew Berry would listen.

Given Cleveland’s glut of 2026 draft picks, Jackson says Berry could target players under club control at least through next year — rather than more draft capital — as he navigates the trade season. That is what happened when he traded Newsome for Campbell, who is signed through 2028.

As Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal writes, Campbell was shocked by the deal, perhaps because he signed a lucrative extension with the Jaguars in July 2024. Clearly, the playoff-hopeful Jags believed Newsome offered an immediate upgrade to aid in their postseason push, while Cleveland will hope to provide Campbell something of a longer runway to find the form that earned him a big-money deal just last year.

Browns S Ronnie Hickman Could Earn Starting Job

July 6th, 2025 at 7:19pm CST by Ely Allen

Early this morning, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal previewed some opinions of players who could have breakout seasons for the Browns in 2025. One of these players was third-year safety Ronnie Hickman, whom Easterling believes has a chance to lock down a starting job in training camp.

Hickman came to Cleveland as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State after forgoing his senior season with the Buckeyes. Despite his undrafted status, Hickman made the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and started four games in place of an injured Juan Thornhill late in the year. Last year, Hickman led the Browns in snaps aligned at safety, starting five more games for an injured Thornhill and getting plenty of time on the field in games he didn’t start.

Thornhill is gone now, having departed for Pittsburgh in free agency, so naturally, it seemed like there was going to be an opportunity for Hickman to firmly take the starting job. That was before the team signed two safeties on May 12 with extensive starting experience. Damontae Kazee signed with 63 starts in eight years with the Falcons, Cowboys, and Steelers. He’s also tallied 17 interceptions over that time, including a seven-pick performance that led the league in 2018. Rayshawn Jenkins comes in with 89 starts in eight years with the Chargers, Jaguars, and Seahawks, including five seasons in which he served as a full-time starter.

It would certainly make perfect sense for either veteran to fill in the starting role next to Grant Delpit in the upcoming season, but Hickman comes in with plenty of familiarity of the role, having shared it with Thornhill for much of last year. So far, it seems as if it’s his job to lose, forcing Jenkins and Kazee to beat him out of the spot.

The three other players highlighted by Easterling were wide receiver Kaden Davis, defensive tackle Michael Hall, and defensive end Isaiah McGuire. While Jerry Jeudy is obviously stealing the spotlight at workouts in Cleveland, Davis has been taking advantage of the absences of Cedric Tillman and Michael Woods II, catching the eyes of head coach Kevin Stefanski and wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea. The coaches have praised his work this offseason, and even if Tillman and Woods are back for training camp, the four-man quarterback race should still afford Davis several opportunities to be seen.

Hall’s rookie campaign was limited by a five-game suspension resulting from a domestic violence arrest and injury. As last year’s top draft pick in Cleveland, the Browns will be expecting a big jump for Hall in Year 2, and he should be running in the interior two-deep with rookie No. 5 pick Mason Graham, Maliek Collins, and Shelby Harris. After earning three starts in 16 appearance last year, McGuire is an easy pick to break out. With a strong sample of play in his time last year, the coaching staff thinks “very highly” of McGuire entering training camp, and he could end up with a starting job.

Browns, S Rayshawn Jenkins Agree To Deal

May 12th, 2025 at 1:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns are having a busy day in terms of veteran safety additions. Rayshawn Jenkins has a deal in place with the team, as first reported by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

Jenkins joins Damontae Kazee as an experienced option at the position who has agreed to a Browns pact today. Kazee had not previously been linked to Cleveland, but that was the case for Jenkins. The latter conducted a free agent visit last month, so the news of this signing comes as little surprise.

After four years with the Chargers and three with the Jaguars, Jenkins spent the 2024 campaign in Seattle. The 31-year-old made 13 appearances and nine starts, handling a 65% snap share on defense. In spite of that workload, Jenkins was among the veterans cut by the Seahawks prior to the start of free agency. That move resulted in a lengthy free agent spell.

Jenkins’ deal will no doubt be a low-cost investment on the part of the Browns. Rodney McLeod gave the team a veteran presence in the secondary last year, but he remains unsigned and is a candidate to retire. Both Kazee and Jenkins will look to fill the role McLeod had in 2024.

The Browns – who still have Grant Delpit atop the depth chart along with Ronnie Hickman as a safety in line to see defensive snaps – fared better against the pass last season than they did in many other defensive categories. There is still room for improvement in that area, though, and one or both of Jenkins and Kazee could play a role in meeting that goal.

Browns To Host S Rayshawn Jenkins

April 11th, 2025 at 11:41am CST by Adam La Rose

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.

Seahawks Release Dre’Mont Jones, George Fant, Roy Robertson-Harris, Rayshawn Jenkins

March 4th, 2025 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

A year after the Seahawks cut Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs on the same day, they are removing another significant payroll chunk all at once. Four more Seattle regulars are out.

The team has announced it is releasing Dre’Mont Jones, George Fant, Roy Robertson-Harris and Rayshawn Jenkins. All four were acquired within the last two years, with Fant, Robertson-Harris and Jenkins added in 2024. Seattle entered Tuesday over the cap; these moves free up $27.25MM in funds ahead of the 2025 league year.

These releases only moved the Seahawks to $16.4MM in cap space, and they show how quickly value can decline. In particular, Jones came to Seattle as high-end free agent in 2023. The former Broncos draftee, who played both on the Seahawks’ defensive line and on the edge, is out two years into his three-year accord.

As the Broncos pivoted to Zach Allen during Sean Payton‘s first free agency at the wheel, the Seahawks rewarded Jones with a three-year, $51.53MM contract. Allen climbed to an All-Pro perch on his Denver pact; Jones did not make a similar leap on his. The Seahawks demoted the high-priced defender last season, as they used a first-round pick on Byron Murphy. (The team’s Leonard Williams acquisition also came after its Jones signing.) Though, Jones still started 23 games for the team during a two-season span. Jones, who totaled 8.5 sacks in his two Seattle slates, will land another opportunity soon, as he is only going into his age-28 season.

While Jones is the biggest name included in Tuesday’s round of Seahawks cap casualties, Fant closes out a second stint with the team. The older of the two Fants on the Seahawks’ 2024 roster, George struggled to stay healthy. The converted basketball player-turned-Jets tackle starter came back to his initial NFL team but only played in two games, landing on IR twice due to knee trouble. Opening the season as Seattle’s RT starter in place of the injured Abraham Lucas, Fant went down with a knee injury early in Week 1. The Seahawks saved an IR activation for him but did not see the 2024 free agency addition make it through his Week 9 return unscathed.

This was a theme for the Seahawks, who had re-signed Jason Peters (to the practice squad) as insurance. With Peters now retired and set to mentor Seahawks O-linemen, the team will need to look into more RT help, as Lucas has battled injury trouble for the past two seasons.

It is also unsurprising the Seahawks have released Jenkins, who was benched after he returned from IR midway through last season. The Seahawks gave Jenkins — a 2024 Jaguars cap casualty — a two-year, $12MM deal in the wake of cutting Diggs and Adams. Seattle, which benched Jenkins for Coby Bryant, allowed the veteran safety to seek a trade last week. Nothing materialized, and the eight-year veteran — a Chargers draftee who has started 89 career games — is back in free agency.

The Seahawks traded for Robertson-Harris early last season, obtaining him from the Jags for a 2026 sixth-round pick. The veteran interior D-lineman did not start for the Hawks and logged only a 25% snap share on defense with the team. Robertson-Harris, 31, had been attached to a three-year, $21.6MM deal signed by the Jags in 2023. He has 62 career starts on his resume.

Fant, 32, was tied to a two-year, $9.1MM accord. While the above-referenced cap savings do come out of these cuts, OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald notes $18.4MM in dead money will as well.

Seahawks Give S Rayshawn Jenkins Permission To Seek Trade

February 27th, 2025 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s Combine is nearing double digits on players allowed to find trade partners. Add a Seahawks defensive back to that list.

Seattle has given Rayshawn Jenkins permission to find a trade, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. Jenkins is tied to a two-year, $12MM Seahawks pact, one he signed after the Jaguars released him last year.

The NFC West is running wild on this front. The Rams have given Matthew Stafford and Jonah Jackson permission to find a trade (though, Stafford’s permission only stands to set his contract range), and Cooper Kupp is squarely on the trade block. The 49ers have also given Deebo Samuel permission to shop around. Some player movement appears imminent in the division — be it via trade or release.

Jenkins, who turned 31 last month, started nine games for the Seahawks last season. The former Chargers and Jaguars starter was in the Seahawks’ lineup for each game before a midseason IR trip — after a hand injury — but logged only three more starts upon being activated. More activity at safety appears likely for Seattle, which made significant moves at the position last year.

The Seahawks scrapped their Jamal Adams–Quandre Diggs plan, releasing both players. They later extended Julian Love, who remains the team’s safety centerpiece. Jenkins came in to start alongside Love, signing not long after the Jags ditched his four-year, $35MM deal. Jenkins returned a fumble 102 yards for a score last season but did not intercept a pass. Pro Football Focus graded the eight-year veteran as a bottom-12 safety last season, however.

For his career, Jenkins has made 89 starts and intercepted 10 passes. He did enough with the Chargers to command a nice Jaguars contract, though PFF has viewed him as a bottom-quartile safety since that deal came to pass. The Jags disagreed with the advanced metrics site’s assessments for a while; the Seahawks might not. Jenkins is due a $4.89MM base salary in 2025; cutting him would save the Seahawks $5.28MM.

Seattle has transitioned Coby Bryant from cornerback to safety; he started 11 games last season. PFF’s No. 22 overall safety in 2024, Bryant is under contract for one more season. Love’s new deal runs through 2027.

Seahawks Activate S Rayshawn Jenkins

November 22nd, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald announced that Rayshawn Jenkins would be activated from injured reserve, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Seattle is expecting their veteran safety to take the field on Sunday against the Cardinals for his first appearance in Week 6.

Jenkins started the Seahawks’ first six games, racking up 38 tackles and a 102-yard fumble return touchdown, the longest in the NFL this season. He played with a cast over his left hand in Weeks 5 and 6, but landed on injured reserve on October 16 to allow his injury to fully recover. The 2017 fourth-round pick returned to practice this week and quickly got back up to speed in the defense.

Jenkins arrived in Seattle this past offseason on a two-year, $12MM contract to pair with Julian Love as starting safeties in Macdonald’s new defense. In Jenkins’ absence, third-year defensive back Coby Bryant has stepped up at safety, ranking fifth on the team with a 73.2 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

While Jenkins is expected to return to a starting role this weekend, Bryant’s emergence will give Macdonald more options in a defense that prioritizes interchangeability between versatile defensive backs. All three players are capable of playing deep safety or sliding into the slot. Jenkins also saw plenty of time in the box in dime packages, so Macdonald could also call more three-safety formations.

The Seahawks currently have 52 players on their active roster, so they will not need to make a corresponding move to accommodate Jenkins’ activation.

Seahawks Designate S Rayshawn Jenkins For Return

November 20th, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Going through significant changes at safety this offseason, the Seahawks made Rayshawn Jenkins one of their solutions. While the team has moved on from both its stopgap linebacker starters (Jerome Baker, Tyrel Dodson) already, Jenkins remains in the team’s plan for the regular season’s final third.

The Seahawks designated Jenkins for return Wednesday, The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar notes. Jenkins has missed time due to a hand injury. The offseason pickup had played multiple games with a hand cast and needed an IR stay; that stint looks to be coming to an end.

Jenkins joined the Seahawks on a two-year, $12MM deal. Considering how Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams (among other veteran safeties) fared upon being cut, the offseason Jaguars release did well to catch on. Seattle guaranteed the former Jacksonville and Los Angeles starter more than $6MM and used him as a first-stringer exclusively.

Seattle has Julian Love as its new centerpiece safety, having extended the former Giant this summer. The team took on more than $30MM in combined dead money by cutting Adams and Diggs, doing so without post-June 1 designations, but still has shown a preference for veterans on the back end.

Jenkins, 30, has made 86 career starts between his time with the Chargers, Jags and Seahawks. He made a notable impact during the Seahawks-Giants matchup, returning a fumble 102 yards for a touchdown. Seattle has used 2022 fourth-round pick Coby Bryant in Jenkins’ place over the past four games. Pro Football Focus ranks Bryant and Love as top-20 regulars among safeties, which could make for an interesting decision once Jenkins is activated. Although the Seahawks have placed George Fant on IR a second time, they are in good shape for injury activations, holding six going into Week 12.

Seahawks Place S Rayshawn Jenkins On IR

October 16th, 2024 at 5:24pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks have lost a key defender for at least the next four games. The team announced that they’ve placed safety Rayshawn Jenkins on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the Seahawks signed practice-squad safety Ty Okada to the active roster.

As ESPN’s Brady Henderson notes, Jenkins was a mainstay on the injury report over the past two weeks with a hand injury. The safety also played the past two games with a cast over his left hand. The injury will now force him off the field for at least the next four games. Jenkins will be eligible to return in Week 12.

The Seahawks have been especially reliant on their offseason acquisition, as Jenkins hasn’t missed a defensive snap through the first six weeks. The veteran has collected 38 tackles, and he returned a fumble for a touchdown in Week 5. Pro Football Focus only ranks Jenkins 56th among 84 qualifying safeties, although the site is high on his coverage ability.

The former fourth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers, evolving from a special teamer into a starting defender. He inked a four-year, $35MM deal with the Jaguars in 2021, but he was handed his walking papers back in March after starting all 48 of his appearances in three seasons with the organization.

Julian Love will continue to sit atop the depth chart, and K’Von Wallace will likely slide into the starting lineup during Jenkins’ absence. The team could also turn to versatile defensive back Coby Bryant, and they’ve now added Okada to the grouping. The former UDFA has appeared in six games for the Seahawks over the past two seasons.

Seahawks To Sign S Rayshawn Jenkins, T George Fant

March 15th, 2024 at 3:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 15: The Seahawks are giving Jenkins a two-year, $12MM deal, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets, noting $6.6MM will come the safety’s way in Year 1. Fant will collect up to $14MM on his deal, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who adds the veteran tackle will receive a $3.7MM signing bonus.

Multiple teams pursued Fant, according to Wilson, but John Schneider confirmed (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta) the Seahawks are not planning a two-Fant starting lineup. While Noah Fant is back at tight end, George Fant will work as a swingman behind starters Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas. Considering the investments the Seahawks made in their young tackles, this is not surprising.

MARCH 13: After moving on from both Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, the Seahawks had a need on the backend. Those veteran safeties will not be in place for 2024, but Rayshawn Jenkins will. The latter has agreed to a deal with Seattle, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

In another free agent deal, the Seahawks will bring back George Fant. The veteran tackle is set to return to where his career began, Pelissero notes in a follow-up. Fant will provide depth at the tackle spot on a team featuring two young starters.

Jenkins was part of Jacksonville’s cost-cutting measures in the lead-in to free agency. He had a three-year run in Duval County, remaining a full-time starter over that span. The 30-year-old racked up five interceptions during the past two seasons, adding 21 pass deflections in that time. To little surprise, Jenkins was quickly on the radar of interested teams after his Jags release went through.

The Seahawks and 49ers had Jenkins visits lined up, and he has elected to head to Seattle. A first-team role should await the Miami alum given the decision to cut Adams and Diggs in cost-shedding moves. Seattle invested in Julian Love last offseason, but he is only under contract through 2024. The ex-Giant could play his way into a new Seattle pact with his play this season, and doing so will come about with a veteran of 109 games alongside him in the form of Jenkins.

Fant spent the first three years of his career in the Emerald City, logging 24 starts across 46 games with the Seahawks. He worked as a full-time starter with the Jets from 2020-22, seeing time at both left and right tackle. He took a one-year Texans deal last offseason, starting 13 contests and playing almost exclusively at the RT spot. That could come in handy with Seattle.

2022 third-rounder Abraham Lucas was limited to six games last season due to injury, and Fant will provide a veteran starting option if necessary. Lucas struggled when on the field in 2023, drawing a PFF grade of 53.1 (a steep decline from that of his rookie season). Fant, 31, earned a much better evaluation last year in a bounce-back from his final Jets season. He could see playing time with Seattle for the second time in his career if needed at either tackle spot.

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