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 Myles Garrett isn’t being traded, but for a 2-6 team that needs something of an overhaul, it’s fair to assume someone will be on the move.
One player who has been the subject of speculation is Alex Wright, the standout defensive end who began showing signs of coming into his own before he was injured in 2024 with a torn triceps, but who has continued to improve this year. Wright has 3.0 sacks, just two off his career high, and has already set a career high with nine tackles for a loss.
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.
Patriots QB Drake Maye’s Leadership Skills Spotlighted by Robert Spillane
'A guy that people really gravitate towards'
rake Maye has elevated his performance this season, and linebacker Robert Spillane praised Maye for developing into a strong leader.
“Confidence, leadership, swag, he walks around with a lot of swag,” Spillane said on Thursday during NFL Network’s “The Insiders”, via Carlos A. Lopez. “A guy that people really gravitate towards. He has control of the locker room. Guys respect him, and he does not take that lightly.”
Maye is currently in his second NFL season, and he’s playing like a seasoned veteran. Over eight games, Maye has thrown for 2,026 yards, racked up 15 touchdowns, and committed only three interceptions.
However, Maye’s doing something even more important this season — he’s leading his team to victories. The Patriots currently hold a 6-2 record, placing them at the top of the AFC East, ahead of the Buffalo Bills.
For a young player, strong performances and wins often earn the respect of his teammates. Maye is excelling in both areas, which is helping the team fully embrace his leadership.
Maye and the Patriots face a tough challenge on Sunday as they take on the Atlanta Falcons, who allow 149.1 passing yards per game.
