4 Goals before 2024: Browns wide receiver corps needs more work in offseason

With four games left to play in 2023, the Cleveland Browns are in line for their second playoff berth under head coach Kevin Stefanski. Their 8-5 record is beyond impressive considering the adversity they've faced this year. Star players such as Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson, and Jack Conklin have hardly seen the field due to injuries, yet they continue to roll.

Knowing how well they've done with depth pieces taking over at so many spots, the Browns know they're close to being perrennial contenders. To make sure they get over the hump and become a legitimate threat to win the title, they need to focus on these four goals in the 2024 offseason.

4. Re-load the defensive line

Cleveland did an excellent job loading up talent on the offensive line but several of their additions will be free agents this offseason after signing one-year deals. Za'Darius Smith, Maurice Hurst, and Shelby Harris all fall under this category. They will also have to decide on Jordan Elliott, their third-round pick from 2020 who is also scheduled for free agency.

General manager Andrew Berry has been a fan of one-year deals for role players, which is how he’s kept the salary cap from getting out of control. It’s also how he’s been able to lock up so many of their key starters. The one downfall is how often they have to negotiate to keep a player, or go out and replace him.

With this group, they’re likely to let most walk in free agency. They’ll still have stars such as Myles Garrett and Dalvin Tomlinson as well as Ogbo Okoronkwo. But they’re going to have to add at least one more starter on the defensive line. They’ll also need to find suitable backups, knowing how often they’ve suffered injuries. They do have Siaki Ika and Elijah McGuire, two rookies who have been developing on the bench, but they’ll still need to get their depth back up before kicking off the season.