The Cleveland Browns want to keep the band together.

Despite all the trade speculation and whatnot, it seems like Greg Newsome II isn’t going anywhere.

According to a report by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are firmly expected to pick up his fifth-year option.

Teams have until May 2 to decide what to do with the fifth-year option of the 2021 first-round picks, so there was plenty of speculation about the cornerback.

With that in mind, former Browns great Eric Metcalf showed his excitement about this decision, as he claims he’s all about keeping the defense together.

He believes the Browns have the best secondary defense in the game, so obviously, keeping a talented player like Newsome is huge 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

A former No. 26 pick, Newsome is coming off logging the first two interceptions of his career, along with ten pass breakups and 43 tackles.

He also played a career-high 412 snaps in the slot, and while he would likely rather be lined out wide, he was actually quite efficient in that role.

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

So, if that means taking one for the team and making adjustments, guys like Newsome — or everybody else — should be bought in.

If that’s the case and he doesn’t want to leave, then by all means, this team should look to keep him around for years to come.