One free agent who could change the Cleveland Browns offense

The Cleveland Browns will be looking to bolster its roster this offseason. Here’s one player on offense that can have a major impact.

The Cleveland Browns will be leaving no stone left unturned when it comes to upgrading its roster. GM Andrew Berry and his staff have to get creative in order to fill positional needs. With limited draft capital and a salary cap situation that may get tricky to navigate after this season, the urgency to win now is a must.

One position on offense that needs to clearly be upgraded is at left tackle. Jedrick Willis has regressed and probably shouldn’t be protecting Deshaun Watson’s blindside next season. Assuming Berry can’t find a starting caliber left tackle in the second round, the only natural way to upgrade the position is in free agency.

There are a number of quality tackles available starting with the 49ers’ Mike McGlinchey. He would be a terrific fit in Cleveland as he runs a very similar zone-blocking scheme in San Fransisco as the Browns do here. The problem with him will be the price tag as McGlinchey would be highly sought after and could fetch one of the biggest paydays an NFL offensive tackle has ever seen.

But another candite will be the Atlanta Falcons’ former first-round pick, Kaleb McGary. McGary will still get a nice contract, but it won’t touch what McGlinchey will get. McGary too runs a similar scheme in Atlanta that the Browns do and should fit in nicely with what offensive line coach Bill Callahan likes implementing.

McGary had an 86.6 PFF rating last season and only had five penalties in 1,051 snaps. McGary would be an instant upgrade over Wills and having him on the roster should allow Watson to play more freely instead of having to worry about what’s coming at him from his blindside.

Adding another big contract to the offensive line might be problematic in the future but Andrew Berry should be able to make it work for at least one season. There will be some difficult decisions to make after 2023 with Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. But if Watson gets back to form next season then the Browns will be instant contenders with McGary on its offensive line.