With the Cleveland Browns in ‘win now’ mode, Andrew Berry may feel the pressure to sign more free agents than in the past.
With the hire of Jim Schwartz as the Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator, the organization is now patiently waiting for free agency to being in March. The draft will also be important but remember the Browns will be without a first or third-round pick because of the Deshaun Watson trade.
While there were some flashes of greatness in the last six games of the season, there are still a ton of question marks on if he is still an elite quarterback after missing a year and a half with off-field troubles. There’s no doubt about it, Andrew Berry is all in on Watson and he is going to do everything possible to help him this offseason.
While a majority of the money will likely be spent on the defense, Berry is going to try and improve this offense as well which struggled at times. Here are three big names that should be on his radar.
Cleveland Browns Offensive Free Agent Target No. 3: Hayden Hurst, TE
The Cleveland Browns paid big money to David Njoku last season, but I’m not sold that the organization is confident in his backup, Harrison Bryant. He showed flashes of great as a rookie but really hasn’t done a whole lot since. He’s an undersized blocker and has far too many drops.
Hayden Hurst is a mean tight end who isn’t afraid to block and has solid hands as well. The Cincinnati Bengals will likely be incentivized to keep him, but I’m not sure that is in the cards with so much money due to stars in the next two years.
The market for Hurst could get aggressive which would likely take the Browns out, but I think he is the perfect run-blocking tight end that this roster is missing. The one wildcard, will the offense look completely different next year with Watson? I still see Kevin Stefanski using two tight ends a substantial amount of the time.
Cleveland Browns Offensive Free Agent Target No. 2: Andre Dillard, OT
One of the biggest weaknesses this year that continues to get overlooked is the offensive line. All five guys seem to be above-average run blockers, but none of them besides Joel Bitonio seems to fare well against elite pass rushers.
Andre Dillard is the type of player that Berry will fall in love with. A former first-round pick that hasn’t lived up to expectations and is likely looking for a one-year deal. The point of bringing Dillard to Cleveland would not be to start, but to at least bring some competition for Jedrick Wills, Jack Conklin, and James Hudson.
There’s no doubt that the tackle room will be a little crowded, but they need depth for many reasons. One, there always seems to be an injury on the offensive line each week. Two, I’m not sold any of these guys are great NFL starters so competition will only make them better.
I don’t think Dillard is so far gone you look to move him to guard. At 6-foot-5, he would be a tough one to consistently throw around. But, if Berry can get him on a one-year deal that is affordable and convince him that working with Bill Callahan will only help him out, I think the fit is perfect.
The other scenario would be to draft an offensive lineman in round four or five, but the odds of getting someone who is eventually a starter are too low in that scenario.
Cleveland Browns Offensive Free Agent Target No. 1: DJ Chark, WR
With Donovan Peoples-Jones having a really solid year in 2022, I’m not sold that the Cleveland Browns are in desperate need of a third wide receiver. I would love to give a guy like David Bell or Michael Woods more time to develop, but I don’t think the Browns are in a situation where they can wait.
With time being of the essence, I expect Berry to find his No. 3 wide receiver in free agency this year. Unfortunately, the wide receiver class is pretty weak in free agency, so you may see costs skyrocket with a supply/demand imbalance.
You won’t see Berry go crazy and overspend, but if he can get a guy like DJ Chark at a reasonable value, I think he would be the perfect fit. Chark will only be 26 years old to begin the 2023 season, and with one breakout year in 2019, he has proven he can be a No. 3 (or even two) wide receiver in the league.
Over his five-year career, Chark has just over 2,500 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns, but 1,000 yards and eight of those touchdowns came in 2019 when he was a pro bowler for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Chark has good size but excels in the slot position where he has room to run and get open. Not only would he be a red zone target, but he would also be a deep threat and an elite route runner on third and short.
Every offseason we see these receivers get $10 million a year and then go have 35 catches and 500 yards. I think the potential for Chark in Cleveland would be fantastic, but my biggest fear is someone will overpay and Berry will fall back to fixing the problem in the draft.
3 splash free agents the Cleveland Browns should consider on defense
With more and more pressure on Andrew Berry to win now, he may look to get aggressive this offseason. Here are 3 splash-free agents he should consider.