Since the season kicked off in Week 1, there have been seven trades so far in the first six weeks. If all the buzz from the insiders is correct, there could be at least that many in the next few weeks before the trade deadline on Tuesday, November 4.
But for now we’ll take a look backward at the deals that have been wrapped up already, grading every trade to see who the winners and losers are so far:
Jaguars/Browns
Jaguars get:
Browns get:
Player-for-player trades aren’t common, especially during the season and especially involving two starting players. But the Browns and Jaguars have two of the most unconventional front offices in football. They already swung one big trade back during the draft that led to Jacksonville moving up for two-way WR/CB Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall, and that familiarity likely played a role in this current deal swapping starting cornerbacks.
At first glance, this is a confusing trade to get a handle on. Newsome and Campbell are similar-caliber players — solid starters, probably good enough to be the top option for a lot of teams, but not true shutdown players. Both were drafted in 2021 just seven picks apart, as Newsome went in the first round at No. 26 overall and Campbell was the first pick of the second round at No. 33. They both are 25 years old and they both are about the same size at over 6-0 and 190 pounds.
Both players have been up and down to start their careers. Campbell has the best single season of the two with an outstanding 2022 year with 15 pass breakups and three picks. Since then, injuries and coaching instability have impacted his play. Newsome’s best seasons, including this one so far, have been when he was able to play outside corner, but the Browns saw it fit to play him in the slot more often than not.
The biggest difference in the two is their contract. Campbell was eligible for a new deal before Newsome since he signed a four-year deal as a second-round pick, as opposed to Newsome’s first-round deal that included a fifth-year option. Newsome’s on that option right now for a sum of $13.77 million and will be an unrestricted free agent in March. Based on how he’d played so far and the perpetual demand around the league for decent cornerback play, Newsome could be in line for a deal worth $18-$20 million a year.
Campbell already signed a four-year, $76.5 million deal going into last year with the Jaguars, a deal approved by former GM Trent Baalke , not current GM James Gladstone . That matters a lot for these kinds of decisions and the Jaguars have already moved on from a number of players who weren’t viewed as scheme fits. Campbell falls in that bucket, as he’s at his best in man coverage while current Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile wants corners who can sit back in zone and come forward to make plays on the ball.
Campbell’s a much better fit for Browns DC Jim Schwartz ’s man-heavy scheme. He’s also under contract for three more years and a total of $45.6 million, only $13.1 million of which is guaranteed. That matters a lot for the Browns since not only is Newsome not under contract, neither is CB Martin Emerson who was set to start before tearing his Achilles during training camp. In theory, adding Campbell gives the Browns a long-term solution at cornerback.
Cleveland gave up the higher pick in the deal, which suggests that Campbell was viewed as the better player/asset. But it’s not a major difference, and this seems to read more like a win-win deal for both sides, depending on how things shake out on the field for both Campbell and Newsome from this point on. Jacksonville not only gets a player who could be a potentially better fit in their secondary, but also gains spending flexibility with Campbell’s contract off the books. If they don’t re-sign Newsome, they could put themselves in line for a nice compensatory pick if he ends up signing a big deal.
