While the bulk of NFL free agency has come to a close as the Cleveland Browns look ahead toward training camp, there are still plenty of valuable names available on the open market like defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis. Not every name is a realistic option for the team, however, as players like running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins can be considered long shots to land in Cleveland.
Positions still on the roster that could use work before training camp arrives include linebacker, running back, and defensive tackle. Here are three realistic free agent options the Browns could pursue to tighten up their depth chart a bit further.
DT Matt Ioannidis
Despite adding four different defensive tackles to their roster this offseason, the Browns are still an injury to Dalvin Tomlinson away from being back in a dark place along their defensive interior. Adding another player with starting experience, inside-out versatility, and a veteran presence as they head into camp would be a massive benefit in Cleveland.
Veteran defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis has been a solid presence in both Washington and Carolina throughout his seven-year career. Known for his ability to get after quarterbacks as a pass rusher, Ioannidis would add another proven talent to a room that lacks any significant NFL production outside of Tomlinson.
He has been near the top of the list when free agency began, and he remains at the top of the list as training camp nears.
RB J.D. McKissic
The likelihood of the Browns adding another running back to their roster before training camp is extremely high. Outside of Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford, they currently only roster undrafted free agent Hassan Hall, practice squad players John Kelly and Nate McCrary, and hybrid player Demetric Felton.
It is unlikely that any of these players make the final 53-man roster as the Browns lack a back to impact the game through the air at this point. Enter J.D. McKissic, a player that has been a consistent and proven receiver and pass protector throughout his time in the NFL.
While a player like Jerrick McKinnon would have been the preference before he re-signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, McKissic is a fine role player in his own regard. The Browns have also been linked to veteran ball carrier Justin Jackson.
LB Kyle Van Noy
One position left untouched other than re-signing two of their own, the linebacker room could see a new face added before training camp. It may be a stretch since the Browns have passed at the opportunity every step of the way in free agency and in the 2023 NFL draft, however.
And with the late-season injury to starting SAM linebacker Sione Takitaki, the Browns are currently slated to start Tony Fields II at that spot to start the season. If the team does not feel comfortable starting Fields II, who played well down the stretch in 2022, they could go out and get a guy who has played SAM linebacker at a high level throughout his career in veteran Kyle Van Noy.
A solid run defender who is not afraid to lower his shoulder and set a strong edge from his post, Van Noy (even as his play declines) has also racked up at least five sacks in each of the last four seasons.
The linebacker room is the worst positional group on the roster. While the Browns may be fine turning the keys over to a younger player in Fields II, Van Noy could provide them both depth and insurance as he enters the backend of his career.
