Why Did Andrew Berry Extend Jerry Jeudy Before Playing A Game For Browns?

Browns general manager Andrew Berry is betting on Jerry Jeudy to be an important part of the team's future plans, which is why he offered the 2020 first-round pick a three year extension before even suiting up for Cleveland.

If managing the Browns was a poker game, Andrew Berry would be all in at the moment. Cleveland's general manager has never shied away from taking a little risk when it comes to assembling a Super Bowl caliber roster. Look no further than his trade for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy this offseason.

Berry sent fifth and sixth round picks in this year's NFL Draft to Denver to acquire the 2020 first-round pick. It's a small price to pay for a young wideout with some untapped potential. But Jeudy comes with some risk after failing to realize the lofty expectations that come with being a top end pick over the first four years of his career. That didn't stop Berry from not only trading for the 24-year-old, but also doubling down on the investment by offering him a three-year extension worth up to $52.5 million, despite the fact that he's never even played a game for the Browns.

While the move was stunning for many outside the organization, considering Jeudy still has a lot to prove, it was the type of proactive decision he's become accustomed to making.

"One of the things that we feel like is a competitive advantage for us has been our contract management philosophy," Berry said to a small group of reporters at the league's annual owner's meetings. "And we're firm believers that in that space the best front offices or the best teams are proactive as opposed to reactionary and market dynamics."

On the surface Jeudy's extension causes plenty of sticker shock, with $41 million guaranteed and an average annual value of $17.5 million. Juxtaposed to wide receiver costs around the league though, which increase exponentially year-over-year, the financials are actually fairly reasonable for a wideout Cleveland is counting on becoming a consistent contributor in their offense.

"In Jerry's case, you already saw two new receiver contracts enter the market that really are harbinger of things to come in that market," Berry explained. "I mean, probably by Week 1 of the NFL season, the top of that market's going to be north of $30 million.

One of the top names on the market this offseason, Calvin Ridley. earned a four-year, $92 million deal from the Titans. Another, former Bills wideout Gabe Davis, was handed a three-year $39 million deal to replace Ridley in Jacksonville. There's no telling where the WR market will be in a few more years, or how much more it ultimately would have cost the Browns to retain Jeudy if he recaptures the 2022 version of himself that nearly reached 1,000 yards and scored six touchdowns.