A former player addressed the rumors about Greg Newsome II clearly.

The Cleveland Browns hope to keep the band together.

Despite all of the trade talk, it appears that Greg Newsome II is not going anywhere.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are expected to exercise his fifth-year option.

Teams have until May 2 to determine what to do with the 2021 first-round picks’ fifth-year option, so the cornerback was the subject of much conjecture.

With that in mind, former Browns great Eric Metcalf expressed his pleasure with the choice, claiming he is all about keeping the defense together.

He believes the Browns have the greatest secondary defense in the league, so keeping a talented guy like Newsome is fantastic news for Jim Schwartz (via Bally Sports Cleveland).

"To keep all these guys together, I'm all for it."@EricMetcalf21 weighs in on the reports that the Browns are expected to pick up Greg Newsome II's fifth-year option.

🏈 @BleavNetwork | @loebsleads pic.twitter.com/UTWjfH6WJa

— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) April 14, 2024

Newsome, a former No. 26 pick, just recorded his first two interceptions, ten pass breakups, and 43 tackles.

He also played a career-high 412 snaps in the slot, and while he would probably prefer to be lined out wide, he was pretty effective in that capacity.

The Browns have a championship-caliber defense, and they will continue to do so as long as Schwartz is on the roster.

So, if it means taking one for the team and making modifications, players like Newsome — and everyone else — should be on board.

If that’s the case and he doesn’t want to go, this team should make every effort to keep him around for the foreseeable future.

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