BEREA, Ohio — Jerry Jeudy already got paid by the Cleveland Browns. They’re counting on the speedy wide receiver paying them back.
Acquired in an offseason trade after four undistinguished seasons with the Denver Broncos, who drafted him in the first round in 2020, Jeudy believes coming to Cleveland will make him a more consistent playmaker.
No longer a mile high, he hopes to soar at a lower altitude.
“New scenery,” Jeudy said Sunday before practicing for the first time since being sidelined with an undisclosed injury. “Just a new vibe, new atmosphere, new coaches and the energy different. You’ll see how it goes, for real.”
Jeudy wasn’t on the field for mandatory minicamp in June, and he was limited during most of the first week of training camp when the Browns were in West Virginia before being cleared to take part in individual drills on Thursday.
He finally participated in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills Sunday, and quickly showed off his playmaking skills.
Catching a short slant from quarterback Deshaun Watson, Jeudy turned on the jets and burst through the secondary for a long gain. On the last play of practice, Jeudy used a double move to get separation and then hauled in a long pass down the right sideline from Watson, who showed nice touch on the throw.
As first impressions go, Jeudy’s was a strong one.
“Made some plays, ran a real nice choice route early in practice, ran that vertical play at the end of practice, so kind of showing his versatility as a route runner,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday. “But it’s early, so getting him in there and getting him introduced to different concepts at full speed.”
Looking for a downfield threat this winter to complement Amari Cooper, the Browns dealt fifth- and sixth-round draft picks to the Broncos for Jeudy, who showed flashes of stardom in Denver but not enough of them.
He caught 211 passes for 3,053 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Broncos, but it always felt as if he could do more. Of course, it didn’t help that Denver was constantly changing quarterbacks, making it tough for Jeudy to develop any chemistry.
His production dipped last season compared to 2022, but that didn’t scare away Browns general manager Andrew Berry, who had unsuccessfully pursued Jeudy the previous year.
Shortly after he arrived, the Browns signed Jeudy to a three-year, $52.5 million contract extension — a deal that raised eyebrows around the league because of the 25-year-old’s inconsistency.
Jeudy seems to fit in nicely as Cleveland’s No. 2 receiver behind Cooper, with Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman rounding out the Browns’ receiving group. He’ll give Watson another target and new Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey an option to utilize.
“Having those group of guys around me will open a lot of things up, and having Deshaun Watson, a great quarterback,” Jeudy said. “Being able to give me the ball on time and in the right spot and having Ken Dorsey. He ran a great offense when he was at the Bills, so bringing him here is just going to help me a lot.”
He hasn’t had many reps with Watson, but Jeudy is confident they’ll bond.
“It’s nice how accurate he is,” Jeudy said. “Deshaun throws a nice ball. I’ve been watching Deshaun since he was in college, he always threw a nice ball. Seeing it in person is even more tremendous. So I’m excited to see what we do this year.”
As salaries for wide receivers across the league climb, Jeudy said he doesn’t feel any extra pressure to perform. He already expects more of himself than others.
“No matter the paycheck, I’m still always hard on myself and I want to perform at my best,” he said. “It’s all about me. I want to be great, so I got to perform well to do that.”
NOTES: DE Za’Darius Smith sustained a bruised left knee and had to be driven off the field during practice. The team said Smith will be re-evaluated Tuesday. The three-time Pro Bowler had 5 1/2 sacks last season and said Sunday his goal is to reach double digits again this season. … The Browns gave media members a tour of their new weight room and training center, which includes a virtual walk-through classroom where players can replicate what they do on the field against a giant video screen. There’s also a golf simulator in a lounge area for down time and team bonding. “It’s closest to my office,” Stefanski joked. “I did not request that. I’ve not been in there, I promise. I think the specialists kind of have that room on lockdown right now.”
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