3 Free Agents who have been rumored to the Cleveland Browns
By Greg Newland
With the 2022 season edging close and closer, the Cleveland Browns still have a few needs. These three veterans have been rumored to the team.
Halfway through May the Cleveland Browns have officially started to sign their draft class, finalized undrafted rookies, started rookie minicamp, and now head into the home stretch of finalizing their roster. There are always a few guys that slip through the cracks, but there are still 20 to 25 free agents that are legitimate starting talents in the NFL.
It’s hard to tell if players thought holding out would increase their stock, or if more and more guys don’t want to participate in team camps. Most of the guys remaining are in the final stages of their prime, or the back-half of their career.
Andrew Berry has done a solid job of doing a semi-rebuild on the fly. After a disappointing year in 2021, the organization made the decision that Baker Mayfield just wasn’t the guy. With Mayfield, it felt like the Browns were in every single game but couldn’t find a way to close out the ones that mattered.
It remains to be seen if the trade for Deshaun Watson will be worth it, but an elite quarterback in the NFL is the only thing worth going all-in for. It’s great to have a lockdown cornerback or the best wide receiver in the game, but at the end of the day, those guys may win one maybe two games for you. A quarterback has a chance to win you the game every single week.
With a roster that is prepared to win now and a good amount of salary cap left for 2022, the Browns could sign a few veterans to one-year deals. The upside to that is you add a ton of experience to your locker room and roster for when the playoffs come.
The bad thing, this is a short-term fix. You may have to cut a sixth-round pick from the 2022 draft for a veteran you know will only be on the roster for one season. Below are three guys that have been rumored to the Cleveland Browns.