NFL Pro Bowl
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 06: Myles Garrett #95 and Denzel Ward #21 of the Cleveland Browns and AFC look on during the first half of the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl against the NFC at Allegiant Stadium on February 06, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns‘ trade of superstar EDGE Myles Garrett may only be the beginning of the tear down of defensive stars.
Longtime NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported cornerback Denzel Ward could be the next star defensive player to go amid Cleveland’s roster tear down.
Ward, of course, was a first-round pick of the Browns (No. 4) in the 2018 NFL Draft — the same year the Browns chose Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick.
Ward is coming off another Pro Bowl season, his third in a row, where Ward had 39 tackles, one interception and nine passes defended.
Insider Predicts Denzel Ward Will be Traded by Deadline
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GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 28: Denzel Ward #21 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates a pass breakup during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field on December 28, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Browns’ trade of Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse, LA’s 2027 first-round pick and two other draft selections came as a shock to many following the NFL.
Yet, Garrett had been the subject of trade rumors for years. Ward has too, and that led La Canfora to report the cornerback could be on the way out of Cleveland next.
“Ward won’t fetch anything close to the massive return they got for Garrett, of course,” La Canfora wrote for Sports Boom. “But their willingness to eventually move Garrett sent a strong signal to the marketplace about how they really view themselves and any competitive window.”
La Canfora cited a general manager who shared that sentiment and offered the timeline for a potential Ward deal as well.
“Do I think Ward goes, too? Yeah, I do,” an NFL general manager told La Canfora. “This isn’t a June 1 think like the other one (Garrett). But by the deadline.”
A Denzel Ward Trade Could Save the Browns Money, Give Them Additional Draft Capital
Pittsburgh Steelers v Cleveland Browns - NFL 2025
GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 28: Denzel Ward #21 and Mason Graham #94 of the Cleveland Browns react after their win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field on December 28, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cleveland Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-6. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Ward is set to enter the penultimate season of his five-year, $100.5 million contract. The Browns can save about $17.5 million in cap space by trading him at any point until the start of the year and potentially land additional draft capital.
“Ward turned 29 in April and would hold real value for a contender around midseason if he maintains his level of performance,” La Canfora wrote. “It’s hard to imagine the Browns being in anything other than a position to continue adding draft picks, and a team could essentially rent him for 1 ½ seasons at an average salary of $17M a season, a steal for a player of his caliber.
“The contract is clean and doesn’t carry any awkward future options, roster bonuses, or guarantees. A contending team that acquires him could sweeten the pot with some incentives as well to help facilitate the transition, the GM noted.”