You can Ward off any speculation about the Browns dumping another defensive star.
Denzel Ward, the Browns’ new longest-tenured player after Myles Garrett was traded to the Rams, said Saturday that he wants to stay put during the anticipated rebuild.
“I definitely still want to be here,” Ward told reporters at his inaugural celebrity softball game. “Myles is a good friend of mine, a great teammate, but things aren’t lost. It’s Ohio against the world. So people could doubt us, but we’re going out there still trying to play our best ball and bring wins to the city.”
Ward, 29, is a five-time Pro Bowl cornerback (including the last three seasons) who was the No. 4 pick by the Browns out of Ohio State in 2018.
He is signed through 2027 on a five-year, $100.5 million contract, but none of his remaining salary is guaranteed.
The Browns received two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jared Verse as well as three draft picks from the Rams in the Garrett trade.
It was a healthy return that included a win-now piece in the Ohio-born Verse, but the Browns are still in no man’s land at quarterback with Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green.
“Crazy trade, definitely a crazy trade,” Ward said. “I believe that either you’re with us or against us, and as you see, he’s not with us. Crazy trade, but hey, that’s the nature of this game.”
The Browns and Ward are on the same page about his future — even though the Browns could get more draft capital and Ward could finally make a deep playoff run if he were shipped out, too.
“[Ward is] a big part of the team, and we like him a lot,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said after dealing Garrett. “He’s still playing at a really high level.
“That doesn’t change with this transaction.”
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