Trade Proposal Sends Veteran CB, Former First Round Pick to Bucs From AFC North

“Newsome is a 24-year-old veteran at a premium position and would bring a strong return,” Knox wrote. “He’s appeared in all five games this season and has allowed an opposing passer rating of just 78.2 in coverage. He’s also set to earn $13.4 million next season on his fifth-year option. If available, Newsome would be a logical trade target for both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers — both playoff hopefuls who have struggled to defend the pass consistently in 2024.”

The Buccaneers loss to the Falcons ended in humiliating fashion when journeyman wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge streaked through the middle of the field for a walk-off, 46-yard touchdown in overtime — a play in which he burned ornerback Zyon McCollum on the reception then outran safeties Christian Izien and Kaevon Merriweather along with cornerback Jamel Dean for the score.

Merriweather was on the field after starting strong safety Jordan Whitehead left the game with a groin injury. Izien has been the starter in place of NFL All-Pro free safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who has been out since suffering a foot injury in Week 1.

Cleveland might not want to trade Newsome, but the franchise is staring down a salary cap apocalypse the likes of which no team has ever seen and will likely start shedding assets like M.C. Hammer in the 1990s.

That’s all thanks to a 5-year, $230 million contract granted to quarterback Deshaun Watson in March 2022 that was fully guaranteed and will come with salary cap hits of $72.9 million in 2025 and 2026. That Watson has been one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks the last 2 seasons means the Browns have little room to maneuver.

Newsome, the No. 26 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, is due $13.37 million in 2025 after the Browns picked up his fifth-year option. Newsome has been a full-time starter since his rookie season and had his best year as a pro in 2023 with 49 tackles, 14 pass deflections and the first 2 interceptions of his career.

The Buccaneers can point to Winfield’s absence as the main reason for their struggles in the secondary — he’s the NFL’s best player at his position and signed a 4-year, $84.1 million contract extension before the season that briefly made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history.

More than any other injury on the roster, how Winfield recovers in the 10 days between the loss to the Falcons and when Tampa Bay returns to action on Oct. 13 at the New Orleans Saints in Week 6 could end up defining the trajectory of the Buccaneers’ season. In 2023, he earned NFL All-Pro honors for the first time with career highs in tackles (76), interceptions (3), sacks (6.0), pass deflections (12) as well as an NFL-leading 6 forced fumbles.