Cowboys, Giants and Eagles could battle over Browns $100 million cut candidate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With the Cleveland Browns turning the page to a new chapter after the firing of Kevin Stefanski and the hiring of Todd Monken, one analyst believes the team could cut ties with one of its defensive stalwarts.
The Browns are projected to have just $3.2 million in cap space, so there could be some cuts and/or restructures coming.
One Browns cut candidate in the eyes of Matt Okada of NFL.com is cornerback Denzel Ward, who is set to account for a cap hit of $32.8 million in the second-to-last year of his $100 million contract. A post-June 1 release would create $19.9 million in cap space while incurring a dead-cap charge of $12.9 million.
"Given what he’s meant to the team for the better part of a decade, this would be a more surprising cut, but it also might make sense as Cleveland looks to the future under new head coach Todd Monken," Okada wrote.
A five-time Pro Bowler, Ward is getting up there in age as he prepares to turn 29 in April, but he is still playing at a starting-caliber level.
In 2025, Ward gave up a completion rate of 61.3% and a passer rating of 88.1 when targeted. He also added one interception and nine passes defensed.
Ward did, however, post the lowest Pro Football Focus coverage grade of his career with a 59.7, which has helped knock him out of the elite category for the time being.
Even still, if Ward becomes available in free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys could all compete for his services.
The Eagles have two very good corners in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, but the team is lacking a reliable option to play on the boundary opposite Mitchell.
The Giants should be set in the slot with Dru Phillips, but Cor'Dale Flott, who was the team's best cornerback in 2025, is a pending free agent. Even if Flott returns, New York needs a better solution across from him.
In Dallas, the Cowboys have parted ways with Trevon Diggs, which leaves DaRon Bland and not much else in the way of reliable options. That's bad news for a Cowboys defense that gave up the most passing yards per game last season.
Based on projected cap space, the Eagles are best positioned to make a strong run at Ward if he's cut. The Giants have the second-most cap space of the three teams, while the Cowboys bring up the rear.
At this stage in his career, Ward is going to be looking for a chance to win a Super Bowl on top of a starting role. All three teams can provide the latter, but the Eagles are no doubt Ward's best option for the former.
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