Browns' Last-Minute Guide to 2024 NFL Free Agency
The Cleveland Browns didn't wait until the legal tampering period to make their first big move of the 2024 offseason, but there's likely more to come with 2024 free agency starting on Monday, March 11.
The free agent frenzy doesn't technically start until the league year kicks off on March 13, but the legal tampering period allows team to begin negotiations and come to agreements two days early.
Of course, the Browns already worked a trade to bring wide receiver Jerry Jeudy into the fold. They will reportedly give up a fifth-round pick (No. 135 overall) and a sixth-round pick (No. 202) overall in the 2024 draft for the former first-round pick.
General manager Andrew Berry has pulled off similar moves before. The trade that brought Amari Cooper to Cleveland from Dallas and Za'Darius Smith from Minnesota were similar.
He also showed he was willing to get aggressive in free agency last offseason with signings of Dalvin Tomlinson, Juan Thornhill and a few other defensive pieces that helped build a dominant unit last offseason.
With just over a day left until Berry can get to work on this year's class here's a last-minute look at their cap situation, pending free agents, biggest needs and top targets.
Cap Situation
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Cap Space: $627,134, per Spotrac.
The Browns are one of those teams that shows how little "current cap space" can tell us about a team's financial situation. On paper, the Browns don't have any money to spend, but they actually have some latitude to create a budget if they want it.
The Browns are right up against the cap after the Jeudy trade, but they haven't touched Deshaun Watson's contract.
His cap hit is scheduled to be $64 million, but that includes a $6 million base salary that could be restructured. It pushes even more money into future years, but it creates a lot of cap space that can be used to improve the team right now.
They already cleared up a significant amount of cap by restructuring Jedrick Wills' contract and adding a void year.
An extension for Jeudy could be a cap-clearing option too. He has just one year left on his contract so extending him and converting his $13 million salary into a bonus would carve out significant room too.
Nick Chubb is another name to watch. The star running back is due to cost $15.8 million but a restructure or release is an option that could clear up to $11.8 million.
Most of these moves just swell the bill in future years, but with the rising cap it could be more manageable then.
Notable Free Agents
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- EDGE Za'Darius Smith
- LB Sione Takitaki
- LB Anthony Walker Jr.
- DT Jordan Elliott
- QB Joe Flacco
The Browns were dominant on defense in 2023 and there are a few key players from that unit who are set to hit the market. The most important is Za'Darius Smith. The 31-year-old only had 5.5 sacks, but that doesn't tell the whole story. His 15.9 percent pressure rate was the second-highest of his career.
He was a marked improvement over Jadeveon Clowney who had served as Myles Garrett's running mate in previous iterations of the Cleveland defense.
The Browns will also have to replace a slew of interior defenders. Jordan Elliott is joined by Shelby Harris and Mo Hurst as defensive tackles who will be seeking new contracts.
The linebacker unit will take a similar hit. Anthony Walker Jr. and Sione Takitaki are both up as 29-year-olds who may or may not be back in Cleveland.
Then there's Joe Flacco. He became a bit of a folk hero leading the Browns to a playoff berth late in the season but his performance in the Browns 45-14 loss to the Texans in the wild card round combined with the return of a healthy Deshaun Watson cast doubt on his return.
Biggest Needs and Top Targets
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Interior Defensive Line
As previously noted, the Browns are losing a talented trio of interior defensive linemen. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz used a heavy rotation of defensive tackles last season, but Jordan Elliott (41.8 percent), Shelby Harris (41.6 percent) and Mo Hurst (28.6 percent) all saw significant snaps in the rotation. Expect this need to be addressed with a few signings. Another round of 1-2 year would make sense.
Top Targets: Teair Tart, Quinton Jefferson, DaQuan Jones
Edge-Rusher
The best defenses in the league have a deep list of pass-rushers. The Browns have one of the best in the game in Myles Garrett, but they need a great supporting cast to take full advantage of the attention he draws. Smith was a huge addition and re-signing him should be a priority. However, there are others who deserve a look if they get outbid on the veteran.
Top Targets: Za'Darius Smith, Chase Young, Carl Lawson
Linebacker
Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker Jr. aren't necessarily priority re-signings. They played well, but not well enough that they are essential. The linebacker class is fairly deep this season for teams that are just looking for starter-caliber options who won't break the bank. That's good for Cleveland because Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah could be due for an extension soon and the Browns probably don't want to pay for two off-ball linebackers.
They will likely be in the market for veterans willing to take a short-term deal here.
Top Targets: Jordan Hicks, Drue Tranquill, Josey Jewell
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