The NFL draft and NFL free agency are two of the big ways that NFL teams make changes to their roster. Trades and undrafted free agents are the two others. Free agency and the draft are interesting counterparts as the largest factors in roster building. Generally, veteran free agents are added to address current issues while the majority of drafted players are focused on the future.
For the Cleveland Browns, NFL free agency has been busy but low-key. There were quite a few moves made around the league but very few that the Browns either could or should have made.
Instead, Cleveland’s three biggest moves were trading (and extending) WR Jerry Jeudy, retaining DE Za’Darius Smith and signing QB Jameis Winston. A myriad of other one-year or two year deals were also made:
- QB Tyler Huntley
- LB Jordan Hicks – 2 years
- P Corey Bojorquez – 2 years
- DT Maurice Hurst
- RB D’Onta Foreman
- RB Nyheim Hines
- DT Quinton Jefferson
- OT Hakeem Adeniji
- LB Devin Bush
- DT Shelby Harris – 2 years
- WR James Proche II
- OL Michael Dunn
- TE Giovanni Ricci
- CB Tony Brown
With just five draft picks in the 2024 NFL draft, GM Andrew Berry has done a lot of work to plug holes in free agency, as it is intended to do, but there is a couple of ways the Browns draft could be impacted:
Roster Space
Berry has made a few moves since we updated the team’s 53-man roster projection but it was quite full at that time. Given the limited roster space available, Cleveland may be more likely to either try to move up in the draft or trade for picks next year instead of being forced to use a pick on someone who might not make the roster.
Defensive Line
Two of the four multiyear deals given out in free agency were to defensive linemen in Smith and Harris. Berry replaced DT Jordan Elliott with Jefferson. Based on last year’s roster, that means the Browns defensive line room is full at this point with all but one returning from last year and, hopefully, Jefferson being an upgrade to Elliott.
While that doesn’t mean Berry won’t draft a defensive lineman, it seems more likely he’ll look at the interior with Myles Garrett, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Alex Wright, Isaiah McGuire and Smith all under contract for at least two seasons.
Specificity at WR
With Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore set for free agency after this season, the future of Cleveland’s receiver room is only Cedric Tillman and Jeudy. While bringing back both Cooper and Moore is possible, if the Browns focus on drafting a receiver, they have some specific talent they can focus on.
In Tillman, Cleveland has a young, bigger receiver. In Jeudy, the Browns have a route-running talent that can make big plays. For 2024, with Cooper and Moore on the roster, the team is lacking a true speed demon on the outside. For 2025 and beyond, with or without Cooper and Moore, that speedster will still be needed.
Extending Jeudy helps Berry focus on finding a receiver with that specific skill (who, hopefully, is also a good football player who can catch the ball).
Offensive Line
With Bill Callahan out, Cleveland could be looking to make changes to their line in the future. With Joel Bitonio getting up there in age, Jack Conklin dealing with multiple big injuries and having Dawand Jones nipping at his heels and Jedrick Wills set for free agency after the season, the Browns offensive line could be one of the top focuses in this year’s draft.
Nothing about the addition of Adeniji or retaining Dunn should do anything to change that.
What impact do you think free agency has had on the Browns draft plans?
2024-03-23 16:38:52
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