It's only been three days since the opening of the tampering window for the 2025 season, and the official start to the 2025 season is officially underway. The Cleveland Browns have been able to sign (and let go of) several free agents so far, but not that many compared to teams like the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings.
This could be for a few reasons. The Browns might not want to dedicate too much money to players after just signing Myles Garrett to a huge extension, and also because of how little cap room they achieved by once again restructuring Deshaun Watson's albatross of a contract.
It could also just be because no one on the market intrigued the team enough to force them to say, the cap is fake, let's sign him anyways. There's only one position the team should be taking this approach with, and that's at quarterback. And, other than Justin Fields or Sam Darnold, there were no inspiring options on that front.
The team is rumored to still be willing to go all in on Kirk Cousins if he were to get cut by the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, so it's important to keep an eye on that. But, as of now, this quiet offseason indicates one thing: they're about to go all in on the NFL draft.
Browns seem ready to fill holes through the draft
By not signing a starting QB as well as a starting RB this offseason, it feels likely the team is prepared to fill those holes through the draft. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are their best bets at No. 2 overall, with Ward having an edge there. At running back, the team has a deep pool to choose from, ranging from Omarion Hampton to TreVeyon Henderson, to even Kaleb Johnson.
Read more: 5 remaining free agents that should be top priorities for the Browns
With a plethora of picks, including two extra compensatory picks set to come to the Browns in the 6th and 7th rounds of this draft, the team can really, and cheaply, fill in some holes on their roster. It wouldn't hurt, outside of RB and QB, for the team to add to their WR room.
That's another position that the draft offers a ton of intriguing options at, especially if the team wants to surround a rookie signal caller with more talent.
Is this a good strategy? No. The team seems to both believe their roster is good enough to compete and that they just need a starting quarterback, while clearly feeling cap strapped and unable to fill big holes with veterans. They are attempting to have the best of both worlds, and if Hannah Montana taught us anything, it's that this illusion cannot last forever.
The team has to figure out their plan at quarterback quickly, beyond just taking a rookie and hoping they immediately thrive. If they don't do that in free agency or this offseason, they're going to quickly go from potential Wild Card team to another easily clown-able team in 2025.