Newsome was the subject of trade rumors during the offseason, and the Browns would incur no dead money if they found a taker. However, Newsome's regression in 2024 makes finding a taker a challenge. No area of Cleveland's defense underperformed more than its secondary in 2024, where Newsome (54.0 coverage grade) and Martin Emerson (48.6) had their worst seasons. Newsome's reception rate climbed to 67.4 percent, and his drop-off was noticed by the coaching staff, which made him a starter just three times in 13 games.
