With the Browns trading defensive end Myles Garrett, the next question was whether cornerback Denzel Ward could be traded, too.
The team has made its position clear. (Then again, the team also consistently said it wouldn’t trade Garrett.) And G.M. Andrew Berry has said that it would be appropriate for Ward to speak for himself.
Ward has.
“I definitely still want to be here,” Ward told reporters at his charity softball game on Saturday. “Myles is a good friend of mine, a great teammate. Things aren’t lost, you know? It’s Ohio against the world. People can doubt us, but we’re going out there still trying to play our best ball and, you know, bring wins to the city.”
A year ago, Ward said that the mere fact that Garrett had asked to be traded had a “huge impact” on Ward.
The simple reality is that, even with Garrett setting a single-season sack record at 23.0, the Browns went 5-12. It was time to maximize value and continue to build for the future.
Ward’s future is secured through 2027. And, yes, the right offer would get the Browns to consider making a move. The Garrett trade proves it.
Every player on every NFL team eventually will be replaced. And very few players would be traded under no circumstances.
For now, Ward is still part of the team that made him the fourth overall pick in 2018. He will be until the Browns trade him, until he retires, or until he becomes a free agent and goes elsewhere.
