Browns Could Prioritize Projected $59 Million Move on Breakout Star
For the Browns, the confluence of the Week 9 bye week and the coming trade deadline on Tuesday gives the team ample time to shut down and figure out where, exactly, it should head next. We know
One player who has been the subject of speculation is
He is a pending free agent, which puts him on the trade block for the Browns, but at 25 and showing signs of working well in tandem with Garrett, he is also showing himself to be a piece to build around.
Alex Wright Could Get a $59 Million Deal From Browns
Wright’s projected extension value, per Spotrac, comes in at $14.8 million per year. That’s $59 million for a four-year deal, which would be reasonable if he continues to blossom the way he has this year.
In looking at the Browns’ trade deadline posture this week, The Athletic noted that Wright’s future might be tied to that of Isaiah McGuire: “The Browns might want to keep and eventually extend Wright. … But defensive end Isaiah McGuire is still under contract through 2026, and assuming Myles Garrett remains in the long-term plans, the team probably has to choose between Wright and McGuire at some point fairly soon.
“If a market for pass-rush help develops over the next week, the Browns can try to get something semi-significant for Wright. If they don’t trade Wright, they can eventually sign him to an extension.”
Browns Should Prioritize a Deal
If the Browns do not extend Wright, who was a third-round pick from Alabama-Birmingham in 2022, they could hold him and either re-sign him in free agency or hope that he gets a big enough deal elsewhere to warrant a significant compensatory draft pick.
But it shouldn’t come to that. At Dawgs By Nature, SB Nation’s Browns site, Matthew Wilson writes that Wright should be the top extension priority for Cleveland.
He noted: “As we’ve seen over the past few weeks, Wright is dominant at the point of attack against the run and has a surprising amount of ‘wiggle’ as a pass rusher. He’s a key rotational player both inside and out along the defensive line for Cleveland, and they must get him locked up for the future.”
Alex Wright: ‘I Know What I Can Do’
To Wright’s credit, he has avoided putting too much emphasis on showing off his individual improvement and instead has just focused on helping the Browns’ top-flight pass rush take off. That, he said before the season, was to be his focus.
“If I focus on the important year, ‘it’s important, it’s important,’ then I’m not going to do what I need to do,” he said. “So I’m just trying to stay positive, stay focused and just maintain preparation and just keep up with a new routine that I have. I don’t really try to dwell on this is an important year, this is the last year.
“At the end of the day, I know what I can do. I know what I bring to the table and obviously I’m ready to put it out there. It’s an important year, but I don’t want to add that with the loud noise, if that makes sense.”
He’s held up his end of the bargain. It remains to be seen whether the Browns will hold up theirs.
Dan Campbell’s brutally honest assessment of Lions should scare rest of NFL
The Detroit Lions have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season. Even after losing both of their coordinators this offseason, Detroit seemingly hasn't lost a step. They come out of their bye week with a 5-2 record, scoring key wins against some of the top contenders in the process.
If the Lions are to be believed, they still aren't playing to their full potential. Head coach Dan Campbell believes that Detroit still has another gear this season. The Lions HC said that they could stand to be better at playing complementary football over the course of the season.
“I really believe we haven't played our best ball yet collectively in all three phases,” Campbell said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “And that's really what we're trying to get to here is how can we sharpen ourselves. We know it's going to take every phase. Every game's different, and one unit may have to pick up the slack, but we need to start playing complete ball across the board. And just keep improving — like with all these teams that we're in the race with right now. So, that's where we're at.”
The Lions have highlighted four key areas for improvement during their bye week. That includes their third-down efficiency on both sides of the ball. Detroit is ranked 22nd in third-down conversion rate this season with just 37.7%, far below their 47% rate last season. On the other side, they're allowing a similar third-down conversion rate on defense, which is higher than their 32.5% rate last year.
The two other areas that the Lions focused on during the bye week are their red zone defense and Jameson Williams' involvement on offense. While Detroit's defense has been generally solid this season, it's allowing a whopping 63.6% of its opponents' red zone trips to end in a touchdown. On the other hand, Williams has had an up-and-down season thanks in large part to his fluctuating target rate. Detroit's offense is at its best when the threat of Jamo downfield opens up the rest of the offense. Finding ways to get him in space is going to be crucial for this team moving forward.
The Lions open the second half of their season with a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at home. Will Detroit apply what they've installed during the bye week in their next games?
