4 free agents the Browns will regret not signing in 2024
These signings would have been huge for the Browns
By Randy Gurzi
Overall, general manager Andrew Berry has continued to do a good job filling out the Cleveland Browns roster. He's done his work with a mix of trades, free agency additions, and the NFL Draft. This offseason, he's been hard at work keeping the roster strong.
So far, he's re-signed players such as Za'Darius Smith, Maurice Hurst, and Shelby Harris. He also brought in Jerry Jeudy via trade and signed Jordan Hicks, Jameis Winston, and Nyheim Hines. As good as that's been, there are a few moves Berry should have leaned into harder. Here, we look at four free agents the Browns will regret not signing.
4. D.J. Reader, DT
When the NFL tampering period began, rumors circulated that Cleveland was interested in D.J. Reader. Such a pairing would make sense considering the Browns have a couple of rotational 3-techs but wanted more run-stuffing.
In 2023, they selected Siaki Ika in Round 3 to fill this role but he appeared in just three games and recorded no sacks. They ended up signing Quinton Jefferson, who technically replaces Jordan Elliott's spot. Jefferson did have six sacks in 2023 but he's similar to what they have in Hurst and Harris — meaning he's more of a pass-rusher than he is a run defender.
Cleveland can lean on Dalvin Tomlinson but bringing in Reader would have allowed them to play with a much stronger line on early downs — and Tomlinson has proven he can play either tackle spot. Reader ended up signing with Detroit and losing him feels like a missed opportunity.