Browns' Last-Minute Guide to 2022 NFL Free Agency

The Cleveland Browns have been a major player in each of the past two seasons under general manger Andrew Berry. And on the heels of a disappointing 8-9 season in 2021, it would be surprising if they didn't make some offseason moves.

In Year 1 of Berry's reign, the Browns went big on contracts for Jack Conklin and Austin Hooper. Last year, there was more of a defensive slant to the spending. They inked John Johnson III, Jadeveon Clowney and Troy Hill, among others, to noteworthy contracts.

This year, expect to see the Browns look to make the roster better again. The AFC North was among the most competitive divisions in football last year. The Cincinnati Bengals won the division at 10-7 but went 0-2 against the Browns, and all four teams were within two games of each other.

As Cleveland looks to navigate the market with a little less money than it had 2021, the Browns will have to be careful with how they spend their free-agent dollars. Here's a quick guide to how much money they have, what players they will look to retain and what needs they could address elsewhere.

Cap Situation

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Cap Space: Minus-$3 million, per Spotrac.

General manager Andrew Berry has proved to be adept at working the salary cap. The Browns have managed their contracts in a way where their biggest stars are not hitting free agency, yet they have the money to make some key additions to the roster. 

The Browns have made some key signings through free agency under Berry's watch. They should be in a situation to do it again. This year, they made a key addition before free-agency even started. The team had a little more than $18 million before making a bold trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper. 

On Saturday, they sent fifth- and sixth-round picks to Dallas for Cooper and a sixth-rounder, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. That deal has them temporarily over the cap, as they will absorb Cooper's $20 million cap hit. 

Jarvis Landry is one piece who will definitely see a change as a result. His cap hit is $16.4 million this season, but only $1.5 million of that is guaranteed. They could also clear $7 million by releasing backup quarterback Case Keenum.

Landry carries one of the biggest cap hits on the team. Other notable cap hits include Baker Mayfield ($18.9 million), Denzel Ward ($13.3 million), Myles Garrett ($13 million) and Austin Hooper ($13.3 million).

It doesn't make sense to cut any of those players before June 1 because there would be little to no cap savings.

Notable Free Agents

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• Edge Jadeveon Clowney
• Edge Takkarist McKinley
• DL Malik Jackson
• OT Chris Hubbard
• LB Anthony Walker Jr.
• WR Rashard Higgins
• S Ronnie Harrison
• DL Malik McDowell

The offense is nearly intact going into the offseason, but Berry and Co. will have some decisions to make on defense.

Jadeveon Clowney is the most significant defensive free agent, but it doesn't look good for the Browns when it comes to retaining him. Brad Stainbrook of 247 Sports reported Thursday that the edge-rusher doesn't plan on returning to Cleveland next season.

After notching nine sacks with the Browns last season, he is going to get a massive contract elsewhere.

That will make defensive end a priority, as Takkarist McKinley is also set to hit free agency after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in December.

The interior of the defensive line figures to be an area of note as well. Both Malik McDowell and Malik Jackson played significant reps on the inside, and the Browns will have to make a decision on bringing back either, neither or both of them.

Anthony Walker Jr. and Ronnie Harrison will be interesting to watch as well. Walker played 62.6 percent of the defensive snaps, while Harrison was on the field for 52.1 percent of them.

Biggest Needs and Top Targets

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Edge-Rusher

If the buzz surrounding Clowney's future is true, it creates a significant gap on the Browns defense. Should they lose him, they will need to find a pass-rusher who can play across from Myles Garrett and form a pass-rushing duo.

Clowney will be one of the best pass-rushers in free agency, but there are others who could help the Browns go a long way in replacing him. It might wind up being a position they look to address with the 13th pick in the draft, but there are free agents who could be worth targeting.

Top Targets: Emmanuel Ogbah, Randy Gregory, Justin Houston

Interior Defenders

If the defense has a clear weakness on paper, it's at defensive tackle. Jackson and McDowell are both free agents, but they ranked 99th and 93rd, respectively, of the 110 defensive tackles Pro Football Focus graded.

McDowell had three sacks. The only other defensive tackle with a single sack on the season was Sheldon Day. With Garrett coming off the edge, the interior defenders should be in advantageous one-on-one matchups. Ideally, they will be able to find some veterans who can hold their own at the point of attack and give a little pass-rush help.

Top Targets: B.J. Hill, Tim Settle, Maurice Hurst

Linebacker

The Browns appear to have found a star in Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. He was an All-Rookie team selection in Year 1. Outside of him, there are questions in the linebacker corps. Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson are both 2019 draft picks who haven't broken out.

Anthony Walker Jr. played well and was the 17th-highest-graded linebacker by Pro Football Focus this season. However, he's set to hit free agency, so there's no guarantee they are bringing him back. Re-signing him or finding his replacement should be a priority.

Top Targets: Anthony Walker Jr., Kyzir White, Jayon Brown