Andrew Berry has received heaping praise for the masterful job he did in the 2026 NFL Draft. Whether it was value, athleticism, or maneuvering for the future, Berry did it all. What's more, the Browns knocked free agency out of the park. Staring down the barrel of an offensive line exodus of historic proportions, Berry worked prudently and efficiently rebuilding the unit with talented veterans such as Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, and Tytus Howard.
The team addressed the dearth of talent in the wide receiver room by double-dipping at the position early in the draft with K.C. Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Less was more on the defensive side of the ball, where Berry opted for moves around the margins. As things stand, the defense returns 10 of the 11 starters from last season, with the lone change being Quincy Williams replacing Devin Bush Jr. at linebacker.
There was one area where Berry and the Browns stood pat, though, that defies conventional wisdom. Few teams have had back-to-back seasons with less than six wins and kept their quarterback room intact. Due to a confluence of circumstances headlined by Deshaun Watson's inescapable (in 2026) contract and, to a lesser extent, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel's status as second-year players, the Browns opted only for a small investment at the position with sixth-round pick Taylen Green.
In 2026, Browns fans will have an up-close look at many of the veteran options they could've gone with instead. How the team fares in these matchups will go a long way toward determining if Berry made the right decision.
Browns will face three of the top free agent QBs available in the offseason (and the results could cost Andrew Berry his job)
It all starts in Week 5. The Browns will face off against the New York Jets, quarterbacked by former bust-turned-Pro Bowler-turned-pumpkin-again Geno Smith. After "leading" the Raiders to the No. 1 overall pick in 2025, Smith was traded along with a seventh-round pick to the Jets for a sixth-round pick. The minimal investment coupled with his affordable salary (with the Raiders picking up a large chunk of the tab) made him a plausible option for the Browns. Alas, they thought naught.
Fast forward to Week 12, and though plans could change, the Raiders very well might still be starting Kirk Cousins. Cousins has long been linked to the Browns due to his connection with former head coach Kevin Stefanski. The Falcons' insistence on holding him throughout the 2025 season at his exorbitant salary made acquiring him prohibitive. Atlanta finally let him go this offseason, and the Browns opted against a pursuit. Instead, he's been tasked with mentoring No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas.
Just two weeks later, one of the most emotionally charged matchups of the 2026 season will take place. The Browns will host Kevin Stefanski and his new squad, the aforementioned Falcons, in a game that fans will watch with anticipation. There's no telling who exactly will be quarterbacking the Falcons at the time, due to the considerable injury histories of Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa.
When the Miami Dolphins opted to take the greatest dead cap hit in NFL history ($99 million, to be exact) to release Tagovailoa, he instantly became available to the 31 other franchises at the price of the league minimum. This is due to the $54 million he will be receiving from the Dolphins in 2026, regardless. In any case, the Browns passed on the opportunity as well.
On a much more muted note, the Browns will also face the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts. The Bengals re-signed Joe Flacco, who was available to Cleveland for a third tour of duty, a reunion the Browns apparently had no interest in. Out in Indianapolis, the Browns have been mentioned as a potential suitor for former top-five pick Anthony Richardson, yet another quarterback they decided against pursuing.
The outcome of these games will either make Andrew Berry seem like a genius for passing on all of these options or foolish for sticking with the status quo. No matter what happens, when it involves the Cleveland Browns, it's bound to be entertaining.
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