As the NFL season has concluded, the Cleveland Browns will once again look to retool an already talented roster in free agency and the 2024 NFL draft.
However, not every free agent is a realistic possibility for the Browns to land. Tee Higgins, wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals is a key example of this. The Bengals were never going to let him flat-out walk this offseason, nor were they ever going to trade him within the AFC North in a franchise tag-and-trade situation.
The Browns will likely need a wide receiver in free agency, but there are more realistic options. With needs at running back, offensive tackle depth, defensive tackle, and some other minor spots, they could use free agency to find key players on a budget. Last year, they signed defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo to a deal worth just over $6 million per year and landed defensive tackle Maurice Hurst on a veteran minimum deal.
These are far more realistic, even if the Browns do take a big swing or two as well like they are expected to.
Here is one realistic free agent from every team the Browns could target when the new league year begins next month.
Note: all contract estimations come from Over the Cap.
Arizona Cardinals: WR Marquise Brown
The Browns need a wide receiver, and one that can win on the vertical plane. Former first rounder Marquise Brown has proven capable of doing so. He is a mid-level receiver who will likely see mid-level compensation after his time with the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals.
Is Brown the deep threat the Browns have been lacking?
OTC valuation: $7.2 million
Atlanta Falcons: DT Calais Campbell
The Browns built a defensive tackle room out of one-year deals with veterans a year ago, and will likely fill multiple slots doing that again this year. Calais Campbell has had one of the most consistent careers of any player in NFL history. Year in and year out, Campbell just performs.
He will be 38 years old this upcoming season but is well worth a one-year deal.
OTC valuation: $13.1 million
Baltimore Ravens: RB J.K. Dobbins
Without Nick Chubb, the Browns’ rushing attack was ugly in 2023. They will look to add another body or two to the room to improve their depth with players capable of handling NFL carries.
Given his injury history, Dobbins will be cheap. This makes him the perfect player to take a flyer on as they look to rebuild their running back room behind Chubb.
OTC valuation: n/a
Buffalo Bills: DT Tim Settle
Just a year ago, the Browns built their defensive tackle room out of three free agents in Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst, and Shelby Harris. With just Tomlinson and rookie Siaki Ika as the only two still under contract, they will likely do the same thing this offseason.
Tim Settle is a cheap name to target as Hurst, Harris, and Jordan Elliott are all set to hit the market. Despite a stellar start to his career in Washington, he is coming off of his two worst seasons in Buffalo. Could returning to a system like Cleveland’s get Settle back into form?
OTC valuation: $1 million
Carolina Panthers: S Jeremy Chinn
Rodney McLeod is aging, a free agent, and coming off of a late-season-ending injury. While the Browns like D’Anthony Bell and Ronnie Hickman, adding a player with starting experience in an attempt to continue to ease them on the field may be beneficial.
Especially in dime and big nickel sets. Jeremy Chinn could be their guy as he is a mightily athletic and hard-hitting safety who runs like a wide receiver. He has not seen the same success since the departure of Phil Snow from Carolina, but a change of scenery could get him back on the horse.
OTC valuation: $1.9 million
Chicago Bears: WR Darnell Mooney
A player whose production has mysteriously dropped every year of his career, Darnell Mooney could be available at a premium price. After the Bears switched to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, Mooney saw his targets cut in half over the last two seasons.
A 1,000-yard receiver in 2021, Mooney has not been able to muster over 500 each of the last two years. Quarterback play, offensive scheme and coordinator, and simple underachievement are all to blame for his drop-off. However, in a cost-effective role, Mooney and the Browns could be a fit.
Still just 26 years old, Mooney could round out a wide receiver room as the fourth option on Sundays.
OTC valuation: $5 million
Cincinnati Bengals: DT D.J. Reader
Talk about one of the best run defending defensive tackles in the NFL.
D.J. Reader is set to hit the market as the Bengals have a ton of mouths to feed this offseason. This would be a substantial upgrade from Elliott, as Reader has racked up over 30 pressures from the interior in four of the last five seasons, including three straight.
The Browns did not hit on a big name like Javon Hargrave a year ago, but stacking two above-average salaried defensive tackles in Tomlinson and Reader while building up young players behind the older vets is a beneficial plan for a competitive team like Cleveland.
OTC valuation: $7 million
Dallas Cowboys: DE Dorance Armstrong
Za’Darius Smith is hitting the market. And unless he takes a deal similar to the one Jadeveon Clowney took his second year in Cleveland (one year, $10 million), he likely walks to the highest payer in free agency. The Browns like Alex Wright and are always a good bet to draft another defensive end, but if they want another solid contributor right away then Dorance Armstrong is a name to know.
He is a productive and effective rotational pass rusher who could even start opposite Myles Garrett if needed in 2024. In all likelihood, the Browns will roll with Garrett, Wright, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Isaiah McGuire, and a rookie. But if they do not feel like McGuire is ready to see the field yet, Armstrong is a stellar option.
OTC valuation: $5.1 million
Denver Broncos: TE Adam Trautman
With Bryant hitting the market and with Jordan Akins having a cuttable contract, the Browns could be overhauling their tight end room behind Pro Bowler David Njoku. University of Dayton’s finest Adam Trautman may just get a look as the TE2 in Cleveland this offseason.
If that is the case though, given his valuation, Akins would all but be cut and the third tight end would come via the 2024 NFL draft on a rookie contract. However, given how much 12 personnel the Browns love to run, adding Trautman with Njoku would give quarterback Deshaun Watson yet another weapon and an upgrade over Bryant and Akins.
OTC valuation: $4.7 million
Detroit Lions: S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
C.J. Gardner-Johnson did not see the deal he wanted last year and bet on himself, signing a one-year deal with the Lions. And unfortunately for him, he played just three regular season games, suffering an injury Week 2. He returned Week 18 and for their playoff run.
While his play was stellar before the injury, it dropped off in the playoffs. He will once again likely be forced to sign another one-year deal to prove he deserves a long-term deal.
As the Browns may be looking for a new nickel and third safety, Gardner-Johnson brings attitude, swagger, and solid man coverage ability in the slot. For an attacking defensive coordinator like Jim Schwartz who wants his guys to talk their talk on the field, him and Gardner-Johnson may be best friends.
OTC valuation: n/a
Green Bay Packers: RB A.J. Dillon
The Browns need new faces in their running back room. And faces that can carry the same load that Kareem Hunt saw from 2020-2023 at minimum. If Nick Chubb is not healthy enough to start the 2024 season, then they need a back more capable than Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr.
Playing in an outside zone system with the Green Bay Packers his entire career, A.J. Dillon could be the heir apparent battering ram that Hunt has been for the team over the last half-decade. There is a reason to be skeptical about his ability as a lead back, but Dillon has proven capable of being a name to give Chubb a relief or spot start if needed.
OTC valuation: $3.9 million
Houston Texans: LT Josh Jones
With no desire to see either Geron Christian or James Hudson III starting games in 2024, the Browns must be proactive about adding depth to their offensive line. To their credit, no team deals with having to start their fourth and fifth string tackles the way the Browns did a year ago, but this still may lead to them stocking up regardless.
Former third round pick Josh Jones could be that swing tackle upgrade the Browns are looking for.
OTC valuation: $1.4 million
Indianapolis Colts: RB Zack Moss
For the same reasons given for Dillon, Zack Moss is the best running back option on the market that would not cost a fortune.
Moss was on pace to be one of the leading rushers in the NFL before Jonathan Taylor returned to the field for the Colts. For a team like the Browns who face uncertainty with their starting running back, Moss has proven to be more than capable of leading a rushing attack.
The Browns have made staffing changes, adding offensive minds who have worked under Shane Steichen, Shane Waldron, Sean McVay, and more to try and freshen up their rushing attack. But at the end of the day, the personnel issue needs solved as well.
Is Moss an answer?
OTC valuation: $4 million
Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Calvin Ridley
The Browns will take a big swing this offseason, and Calvin Ridley is a prime candidate for a player to take a swing on.
And given his valuation, he is more of a mid-market swing than a big one at that if he does draw in that level of interest. Pairing Ridley and Amari Cooper would give the Browns a lethal duo who can run routes with the best of them and win at every level of the field.
His play dropped off as he was not an efficient receiver for the Jaguars, but their offense as a whole was pushing a boulder uphill all season to get points on the scoreboard.
If the Browns could land Ridley, a room of him, Cooper, and Elijah Moore looks much more appealing on paper.
OTC valuation: $14.6 million
Kansas City Chiefs: LB Willie Gay Jr.
A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, Willie Gay Jr. has played both WILL and MIKE in Kansas City. With Owusu-Koramoah already locking down the WILL position, pairing him with another elite athlete like Gay would give the Browns the most explosive linebacker room in the league.
While he is a bit of a volatile player whose highs are elite and his lows are bad, Gay would give the Browns a sideline-to-sideline guy that they have not had with B.J. Goodson, Anthony Walker Jr., or Sione Takitaki at MIKE.
OTC valuation: $2.7 million
Las Vegas Raiders: CB Amik Robertson
Greg Newsome II avoided the trade mill last year despite plenty of rumors. However, while he survive two offseasons in a row? The Browns have a decision to make on his fifth-year option, and could look to move him for draft capital or for another player at a position of need.
If they do move him and do not want to thrust Cameron Mitchell right into the starting lineup in the slot, getting an established vet like Amik Robertson to step in would be worth the investment. He has gotten better every season of his career, and capped off his contract year with two interceptions, six passes defended, a forced fumble, and 17 stop tackles from his cornerback post.
OTC valuation: $3.4 million
Los Angeles Chargers: WR Jalen Guyton
Another Marquise Goodwin replacement, the Browns could once again go the veteran minimum route to try and upgrade their deep threat options in the wide receiver room. Jalen Guyton has suffered injuries during his time with the Chargers, most recently an ACL tear in 2022, but can flat out fly.
Like Goodwin, the Browns would only expect a limited amount of snaps out of a player like Guyton and a number right around 300 yards receiving would suffice. Unfortunately, Goodwin was not able to reach that number in 2023.
OTC valuation: vet minimum
Los Angeles Rams: CB Duke Shelley
Another potential nickel option in case the Browns move Newsome, Duke Shelley had a solid year with the Vikings in 2022, but spent most of his season with the Rams on Injured Reserve this year.
He would be a cheap flyer with proven success at the NFL level, however.
OTC valuation: $1 million
Miami Dolphins: OL Isaiah Wynn
The Browns need more versatile offensive linemen off their bench, and they love their former first round pick reclamation projects. Isaiah Wynn has experience at both tackle and guard, two positions where the Browns saw injuries in 2023.
Wynn would give the Browns a solid swing option who has started 47 games over the course of his NFL career. Injuries have been the name of the game for Wynn over the last two years, however, playing just 16 total games in that span.
He will likely have to take a relegation to a backup role in 2024, and what better situation to do that in than in Cleveland under Andy Dickerson and Roy Istvan?
OTC valuation: $3.3 million
Minnesota Vikings: WR K.J. Osborn
K.J. Osborn has been the glue in the slot for the Vikings between receivers like Justin Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, Adam Theilen, and more. In need of a receiver who can work the scramble drill and just make plays when targeted, Osborn fits like a glove with Watson and the Browns.
His production has been steady and consistent over his last three years, averaging between 75 and 90 targets and between 540 and 650 yards receiving over the last three years. Adding a player with this kind of consistency and dependability would be a win for the Browns.
OTC valuation: $6.2 million
New England Patriots: TE Mike Gesicki
Reiterating offseason after offseason their desire to get more explosive offensively, the Browns have continued to fall short. However, pairing Mike Gesicki with Njoku to win out of the slot and create mismatches could help them finally achieve that goal.
While Gesicki is not a good blocker, hardly a capable blocker at that, he will create nightmares up the seam for safeties and linebackers. His market fell flat on its face last offseason, and it has the potential to do the same this year as the Browns could get him while pinching pennies.
OTC valuation: $3.1 million
New Orleans Saints: LB Zack Baun
Some teams were just slim pickings to find a player to target in free agency. The Saints were one of those teams. Here, we land on Zack Baun, who could be a replacement at SAM linebacker if Sione Takitaki walks this offseason.
Baun is most effective as a designated pass rusher but also racked up 15 stop tackles in a career year for him. If he found his way to Cleveland, Schwartz could utilize him as a SAM linebacker in base looks, while finding creative ways to deploy him off the edge in other packages on passing downs.
OTC valuation: $4.2 million
New York Giants: LB Isaiah Simmons
Another former first round reclamation project, there is just something within me that wants to see Isaiah Simmons with Schwartz. There is a chance that Simmons just cannot play, but there is also a chance that Vance Joseph and Wink Martindale weren’t the coaches or systems for him.
At this point he would be dirt cheap to sign as well, giving the Browns a real opportunity to land an explosive player for next to nothing. What’s the harm here? It would be all reward with no risk to give it a shot.
OTC valuation: $3.8 million
New York Jets: RT Billy Turner
If the Browns want a veteran swing tackle who has started games in the NFL, Billy Turner is a solid option in free agency. He has also played in a similar offense under Matt LaFleur in Green Bay for the most successful parts of his career.
He will be 33, however, with two season-ending injuries in back-to-back seasons. Looking at the tackle depth in Cleveland though, they have to prepare for the worst given their injury luck from a year ago. And Turner is a full step above both Hudson III and Christian.
OTC valuation: $4.1 million
Philadelphia Eagles: WR Quez Watkins
For similar reasons as given for Guyton and the Chargers, Quez Watkins has lethal speed and is a threat to take the top off of the defense every time he steps on the field. Playing in just nine games last year, Watkins is coming off of his worst season as a pro.
However, he has proven capable of being a receiver to see 50 targets in a limited, field-stretching role. He even racked up 650 yards on just 43 catches for the Eagles in 2021. Looking for role players at the back of the wide receiver room, Watkins is a role player who can create explosives deep down the field.
OTC valuation: veteran minimum
Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Chandon Sullivan
We’ve explained the reasoning for looking at nickel cornerbacks already throughout this article. Chandon Sullivan is another option to fit that mold if the Browns move on from Newsome.
He played just over 400 snaps this season for the Steelers, but looking at his 2022 season with the Vikings, Sullivan played over 1,000 snaps and proved he was willing to sling into run fits. He racked up 19 stop tackles for Minnesota that year.
A willing tackler sure would be fun to have in the slot.
OTC valuation: $3.6 million
San Francisco 49ers: DT Javon Kinlaw
Javon Kinlaw made a leap in year four with the San Francisco 49ers. However, the Niners already declined his fifth-year option as he is now set to hit the open market.
While his body of work as a run defender is still quite overwhelming, he proved to be a lethal threat as a pass rusher this season. This is something Schwartz and the Browns can work with as they look to rebuild their defensive tackle room.
He racked up 35 pressures, 3.5 sacks, and a large 21 stop tackles this season. Given his late jump, Kinlaw could be had for cheap. His profile is exactly what the Browns look for when targeting mid-market players in free agency.
OTC valuation: $3.8 million
Seattle Seahawks: LB Jordyn Brooks
There is no player I want more in free agency this offseason than Jordyn Brooks. With Mike MacDonald coming to Seattle, a coach who needs a sturdy MIKE, however, there is a chance he won’t hit the market.
If he does though, the Browns should not hesitate at pairing Brooks and Owusu-Koramoah. He plays with highly intelligent and disciplined eyes, knows where to be, and is rock solid in coverage as well.
Get this man to Cleveland.
OTC valuation: $4.7 million
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Mike Evans
Another rare big swing listed in this article, receivers like Mike Evans do not hit the market very often. The only player in NFL history with 1,000 yards receiving in all of their first 10 seasons, Evans is a beacon of consistency and production.
He is big bodied, a bully down the field, and possesses strong hands at the catch point. Adding a player of Evans’ caliber to a room with Amari Cooper would revolutionize the wide receiver room in Cleveland.
Evans is worth every single penny he will get this offseason.
OTC valuation: $16.9 million
Tennessee Titans: DL Denico Autry
A player who has been productive everywhere he has been and who has experience working with Schwartz, Denico Autry would be such an underrated and shining addition to the Cleveland defense this offseason.
He can play out to five-tech and wreaks havoc from the interior as a pass rusher. While he is on the older side, the motor and production have not slowed down for Autry. Just this past season at the age of 33, Autry racked up 53 pressures, and a career-high 11.5 sacks.
He’s a game-wrecker.
OTC valuation: $11 million
Washington Commanders: QB Jacoby Brissett
Not much explanation is needed here.
The Browns played five quarterbacks last year. That cannot happen again. So why not go out and get a quarterback who has led the Browns to a top-10 offense in the last two years just in case Watson finds himself in injury trouble once again? Especially one who is beloved by every teammate he has ever come across?
As Jacoby Brissett hits free agency again this offseason, we may see the Browns expand their budget for a backup quarterback to take extra precautions. They have paid Case Keenum $6 million per year in the past; could we see them hit that number again for a guy like Brissett this offseason?
OTC valuation: $1.7 million
