The Cleveland Browns start training camp in just a few weeks' time. While that is good news for most veterans accustomed to regular season preparation this time of year, some players on the roster won't be as lucky. The Browns don't have big expectations heading into the 2025 season, in part due to their quarterback dilemma. Deshaun Watson is likely to miss the entire campaign and isn't productive when healthy. One of Kenny Pickett or Joe Flacco is most likely to win the starting job in his place, while rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders fight it out for backup reps. However, one veteran on the defensive side should already be packing his bags.
Cleveland safety Greg Newsome has been around for the good and the bad. Newsome has been with the team since 2021, and has played for playoff teams and, well, the worst of the worst. Yet, he also doesn't start on the base defense, and the Browns are in the business of saving money. They don't have that option as it pertains to Watson and Myles Garrett, but they can cut corners with the rest of the roster. That is where Newsome comes in.
Why the Browns will eventually get rid of Greg Newsome
It's a matter of when, not if, the Browns will find a way to get rid of Newsome. He is only signed through the 2025 season, and is replaceable on the defensive side of the ball. An article from The Athletic (subscription required) all but guaranteed the Browns would try and find a way out of Newsome's contract eventually, and he is not alone.
"Newsome doesn’t start in the base defense, and the fifth-year option structure means the Browns would incur no dead money if they traded him at some point before November. Both Newsome and Martin Emerson Jr, the team’s No. 2 cornerback, are only signed through 2025. If the Browns can only choose one for the future, given their cap issues, Newsome could be moved strictly based on the savings and 2026 cap rollover a trade would create," The Athletic staff wrote.
Newsome is currently listed as the team's starting nickel cornerback, which as is mentioned above, does not guarantee him reps in the team's base defense. That means a limited number of snaps for a player making...more money than the Browns would prefer to spend at that position.
Who would start in Greg Newsome's place?
In Newsome's place, the Browns could turn to Cameron Mitchell in the nickel defense. Mitchell has played in 30 games across his two seasons with Cleveland, so it's not like he's lacking in experience. He can also save the Browns some money they can spend elsewhere, which given the deals handed out to Watson and Garrett is all the more valuable.
The NFL is a tough business. While Newsome may hang on through training camp, there's a good chance he is traded by the deadline if he does make the roster.