In a somewhat shocking turn of events, Todd Monken went from dark horse to leading candidate. The former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator will return to Cleveland, this time to serve as the franchise's next head coach.
The Browns chose to stick with an offensive-minded coach for their latest rebuild. The offense is still a work in progress, to say the least, and they will probably use most of their resources to address their issues on that side of the ball this offseason.
Fortunately for them, they now have a straight line to some of the best players on an AFC North rival. As usual, Monken will likely look to bring some of his former players to Cleveland.
With that in mind, we'll take a look at three Ravens players who could join the ship and play for the Browns in 2026.
3 Ravens players who could follow Todd Monken to the Browns
Tyler Linderbaum, center (pending free agent)
This might be tough to pull off, given that Tyler Linderbaum is a legitimate star and will probably demand a market-setting contract. That said, the Browns will have to do plenty of financial juggling to add reinforcements in the offseason anyway. While they're at it, they might want to get an anchor for their offensive line for the next decade.
Linderbaum was instrumental in the Ravens' success in the running game. He had the fourth-highest run-block grade in the league, according to Pro Football Reference (83.7). Ethan Pocic is a free agent and coming off a torn Achilles, and with the team potentially overhauling the entire offensive line, Linderbaum would most likely be the biggest offseason addition, both literally and figuratively.
Marlon Humphrey, CB (trade/release candidate)
Marlon Humphrey is one of the most obvious cut candidates in Baltimore. The Ravens will probably try to trade him first, but if they can't, they may have no choice but to move on from the four-time Pro Bowler. He will have a $26.3 million cap hit, and they could save up to $19.3 million by releasing him with a post-June 1 designation.
The Browns already have a shutdown cornerback in Denzel Ward. Humphrey is coming off a down year by his standards, allowing 64.6 percent of successful targets. But even in a bad year, his four interceptions were tied for third in the league. He might only need a change of scenery to turn back the clock, and the Browns could use someone who can flip the field and create turnovers.
Isaiah Likely, TE (pending free agent)
Isaiah Likely has spent too much time in Mark Andrews' shadow. Still, when given a chance, he's proven that he's much more than just an additional blocker at the line of scrimmage. He can be a legitimate pass-catching threat, and that's not going to happen in Baltimore for as long as Andrews is there.
David Njoku is a free agent, and while he was fully expected to return, that was before Kevin Stefanski's departure and Harold Fannin Jr.'s breakout.
Likely might be a cheap complement to Fannin in two tight end sets, and he was a prime end zone threat in 2024, hauling in six touchdown receptions.