Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb will likely be top of the list for Cleveland Browns contract extensions. Of all the players who are due for an extension, Mayfield, Chubb and Denzel Ward are the three best performing and most stable. It only makes sense to extend their contracts, thus ensuring the franchise’s stability and another good shot at the playoffs.
Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb Extensions Will Provide Browns With Stability
The Browns did a phenomenal job bringing in talent that carried the franchise to the playoffs when very few thought they could enter that realm. Now, come time to negotiate contract extensions, keeping their strongest players will be a challenge. Whatever the case may be, there are three players the Browns can’t afford to lose as they hold the key to future success.
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Baker Mayfield
The Browns finally have their guy. It took years of instability and disappointments at the quarterback position, but Baker Mayfield is ‘the one’. He gave fans a good scare in 2019, when his performance dramatically declined. However, 2020 was a great year – all the sparkle he showed as a rookie in 2018 came right back, brighter than ever.
Most say Kevin Stefanski was the key to the bounce-back. He knew how to bring out the best in the third-year quarterback. In 2020, Mayfield threw for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Then he threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns in that beautiful first-round playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The nature of the NFL has evolved so that quarterbacks get enormous extensions, which often comes back and slaps an organization in the face. But the Browns hadn’t been remotely close to a reliable quarterback until they drafted Mayfield. His value will no doubt increase, so they need to lock him in now.
Nick Chubb
Gone are the days of Cleveland’s running backs getting knocked down at the line of scrimmage. It seems Nick Chubb has the ability to find open lanes. This Georgia product has been doing it since the Browns drafted him in 2018. He hasn’t declined, instead he’s been consistent and one of the best running backs in the NFL.
In three seasons, he had 3,557 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. He was selected for the Pro Bowl twice. Despite missing four games in 2020, he was still able to clock up over 1,000 rushing yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns. If this isn’t a keeper, who is?
Denzel Ward
This cornerback has made remarkable plays through his time in Cleveland. He’s clearly an elite level player, even finding himself in the Pro Bowl in his rookie year. And he’s only getting better. He’s arguably one of the best in the league.
Through three seasons in Cleveland, he has 143 tackles, 40 passes defended and seven interceptions. He’s made a name for himself as a true lockdown defensive back.
According to Andy Webb of Browns Nation, Ward could get close to $20 million a season, making his contract larger than Chubb’s. Cleveland is blessed to have this guy on their defense. A defensive back with this level of skill is hard to come by and doesn’t appear at the draft every year. He is well worth the investment.
Cleveland’s roster is stacked, and these three players have the goods to be perform at an elite level for years to come. Extending their contracts goes with saying, and it will keep the Browns stable for the foreseeable future.
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