By all accounts, it’s been a solid start to the 2026 offseason for the Cleveland Browns. For a franchise with a laundry list of needs and a complicated cap situation, GM Andrew Berry already has the roster in better shape than fans expected, and it’s only mid-March.
The Browns have been aggressive in addressing their needs at guard, tackle, and center, bringing in some versatile veterans who can play multiple positions in Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, and Tytus Howard. They lost arguably their top pending free agent in linebacker Devin Bush to the Chicago Bears, but quickly replaced him with Quincy Williams, a player who should fit Mike Rutenberg's defense well (for less money than Bush).
Berry comes from the Howie Roseman tree in Philadelphia, where the belief has always been to build the roster from the trenches out. So far, the Browns have accomplished that, while pushing other pressing needs like quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end to the backburner.
Cleveland’s lack of activity at the quarterback position, especially, is what had NFL insider Dan Graziano naming the Browns one of the biggest losers of the first wave of free agency.
“The Browns haven’t done much,” Graziano said during Thursday’s episode of Get Up on ESPN. “They overhauled their offensive line, which they needed to do, but the jury’s obviously out on how well that has gone.
It just doesn’t feel like a team that was in a position to completely sit out quarterback this offseason. Maybe they saw enough from Shedeur Sanders late in the season that they want to run him back out there, but you certainly can’t feel certain about what he’s going to be. Deshaun Watson’s still on the team. They restructured (his contract) again, huge dead-money hit coming when they eventually release him next year… but I just felt that was a team that should’ve been a little more aggressive at the quarterback position.”
The Browns are right to take a cautious approach to adding a QB this offseason
There was at least some speculation around the Browns having interest in signing free agent quarterback Malik Willis, but it’s hard to completely crush the team after he landed with the Miami Dolphins, who have former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as head coach, and former Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as general manager.
The Browns probably would’ve had to commit close to $30 million per year to lure Willis from Miami, which signed him to a three-year deal worth $67.5 million. While doable, that’s a big ask for a team currently dealing with over $71 million in 2026 dead-cap charges.
So if not Willis, who? Mac Jones makes sense, but the asking price from San Francisco has reportedly been unrealistic.
Both Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa make sense from a financial sense, as they can be signed for one year at the veteran minimum while collecting guaranteed money from their former clubs. But the Browns aren’t exactly a prove-it-year type of destination right now, given their lack of talent at the skill positions and Todd Monken’s run-heavy scheme. The older vets like Joe Flacco and Kirk Cousins don’t make much sense either; the Browns literally just tried that approach in 2025.
Berry’s made some savvy trades over the last couple of years, and if the Browns are adding an external veteran to the mix this year, that’s probably the route to take. If not Mac Jones, a trade with the Eagles for former Stanford QB Tanner McKee could be intriguing, if the Browns are willing to part with a Day 2 pick this year.
It’s still early in the process. The Browns could surprise everyone by making a move for Alabama’s Ty Simpson in the draft, and all of a sudden the entire outlook of their quarterback room would change. The Denver Broncos turned their entire franchise around by drafting Bo Nix and his college teammate, Troy Franklin. The Browns have a chance to do something similar with Simpson and Carnell Tate.
We’re still waiting on the team to address wide receiver and left tackle, and it’s fair for fans to be feeling a little impatient. But it’s only March, and we’re still in Phase I of a long offseason. The Browns have nine picks in the 2026 draft, including No. 6 overall and three inside the top 40.
Just because they haven’t solved every issue in four days doesn’t make their offseason a failure. They’re off to a fine start, actually, with admittedly plenty more work to be done.