It’s hard to fly under the radar as much as Ronnie Hickman, who enjoyed a breakout 2025 season in the Cleveland Browns’ secondary but was somewhat of a forgotten man as a free agent this offseason.
As a former undrafted rookie with just three years of NFL service time, Hickman entered March as a restricted free agent, giving the Browns special rights to retain their starting free safety. Those rights included placing a low-ball, “right of first refusal” tender on Hickman, leaving him open to test his market against a $3.5 million base salary for 2026.
In typical fashion for free agent safeties, Hickman’s market never materialized. He reported to head coach Todd Monken’s voluntary offseason program, and the team announced that he had officially signed his tender on June 11.
Hickman might be the biggest value on a Browns roster that ranks second in the NFL in total 2026 dead money (or cap charges for players no longer on the team). He led Cleveland in defensive snaps last season with 1,042, per Pro Football Focus, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see opposing general managers covet his team-friendly contract this summer after the Browns used a premium second-round draft pick on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in April’s draft.
Richard Louis of The Landry Hat recently urged the Dallas Cowboys to trade for Hickman, highlighting a potential strong fit with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
“Parker could help Hickman reach another level, and at the same time, it would provide Dallas with another dynamic DB for their defense,” Louis wrote. “Finding ways to improve this defense should still be a priority, and Hickman could help achieve that at a low price.”
The Browns may value Ronnie Hickman more than opposing fans realize
From the outside looking in, Berry didn’t exactly make keeping Hickman seem like a priority this offseason. The RFA tender the Browns placed on him was the lowest cost possible, and had a team like the Cowboys come to the table with an offer closer to $10 million per year, this could be a completely different conversation.
But Cleveland’s handling of Hickman’s free agent contract isn’t a true indication of how the team values him.
With the safety position being devalued in the modern NFL, similar to position groups like running back and inside linebacker, and Hickman lower on the 2025 pay scale as a former undrafted player, it was simply smart business for the Browns to protect their asset with the right of first refusal tender and let things play out. Had Hickman received an offer sheet from another team, there’s a strong chance that Cleveland would have found a way to match it.
The current state of Cleveland’s safety group makes the idea of moving Hickman seem far-fetched. Grant Delpit didn’t participate in voluntary spring workouts and is due for a contract extension. McNeil-Warren is dripping with upside, but his role seems better suited as a “big nickel” or box safety than it does back deep, where Hickman thrived last year with over 100 combined tackles and seven pass breakups.
The Browns may actually be more interested in discussing a trade involving Delpit, depending on where their contract negotiations stand and the potential draft capital coming back in the deal.
Hickman’s too valuable to justify dumping for some sort of late-round draft pick. Louis’ idea for the Cowboys is a good one, but the guess here is that Berry and the Browns wouldn’t be very receptive to it.
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