The Cleveland Browns will have plenty of critical decisions to make this offseason, and some of them may be pretty painful.
Given their financial situation, the Browns may actually have to trade some key pieces in the coming months, and Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport feels that cornerback Denzel Ward could be one of the victims.
In a piece in which Davenport lists some blockbuster NFL trade ideas, he has Cleveland sending Ward and a sixth-round draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a first-rounder.
"Ward has long been one of the NFL's better players at a premium position. He's headed to his fourth Pro Bowl and is in the prime of the career. But if Minnesota offers the 24th overall pick for Ward, Cleveland should pull the trigger," Davenport wrote.
Ward played in 16 games this past season, racking up 49 tackles, a couple of interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and 19 passes defended.
The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was selected by the Browns with the fourth overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Ward is under contract with Cleveland through 2027, so the Browns don't have to be in any rush to move him, but his trade value is also significantly higher now because of it.
If Cleveland can bag a first-rounder in exchange for Ward, it seriously may have to consider making the trade, as rough as it may be to see him go.
Ward has earned back-to-back trips to the Pro Bowl and has notched four Pro Bowl selections overall.
