3 Browns 2023 NFC opponents who improved significantly in free agency

No. 1: San Francisco 49ers

Imagine already having one of the best defenses in the league and then adding onto that by signing the top-rated free agent defensive tackle. Well, that's exactly what the 49ers did when they signed Javon Hargrave away from the Eagles.

This is yet another player that Andrew Berry was all in on, but ultimately missed out on. Hargrave got a four-year, $84 million deal and that price tag was a little too steep for anyone's liking in the Browns' front office.

San Francisco was a quarterback away from going to the Super Bowl last year, and now have added a guy who can get after opposing signal callers and potentially propel this team even further. Hargrave had a career high 11 sacks last season for Philly, who led the league with 70 total.

This defense of the 49ers is coming off a season in which they allowed the fewest points per game in the NFL at 16.3 and were also second in run defense. This is a scary unit that any team across the league will have a hard time against. Adding Hargrave makes that even more of a nightmare.

This game will be at FirstEnergy Stadium at a date and time to be determined and it could be an all out defensive battle. Time will ultimately tell, but one of the best teams from 2022 got even better defensively in 2023, despite losing the coordinator, DeMeco Ryans, as he became the head coach of the Texans.