Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrates with Tyler Boyd (83) after a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
The Cleveland Browns won’t be as active or make as many purchases as they have in previous years. The front office under general manager Andrew Berry appears to be happy with the roster it currently has, as seen by its expenditures over the previous year. The Browns don’t have to make many salary cap-related cuts in the first part of March, and while they do have needs, it’s difficult to determine which is the most important one in advance of the new player movement period.
Naturally, the top priorities are wide receiver and defensive line. However, the Browns have a number of free agents of their own, a redesigned offensive coaching staff, and a running back in Nick Chubb, who is probably going to return on a modified contract. The Browns have not provided any information regarding Chubb’s anticipated comeback date to the field of play while he recovers from two knee surgeries.
The Browns’ second, third, and fourth defensive tackles from the previous campaign—Shelby Harris, Jordan Elliott, and Maurice Hurst—as well as Za’Darius Smith are all free agents. The team will probably need to spend a lot of money to get new (and younger) faces across the defensive line. We shouldn’t be shocked if Cleveland decides to be patient and concentrate on re-upping and extending its own players.
This is an annual list of players the Browns could seek in free agency or through a trade; the players included are ones we believe will be available for selection by the beginning of next week. There are a lot of choices at the obvious positions on the list, along with a mix of mid-level free agents, some huge names, and some possible trade targets.
I have occasionally been spot on with these picks; the most recent example being Amari Cooper ranking first and Deshaun Watson ranking eleventh in 2022. I’ve missed most of them at times, like last year. I attribute it to the sun being in my eyes, just like I did in minor league baseball.
