5 low-risk, high-reward free agents Cleveland Browns can target

The salary cap is kind of a thing in the NFL unless you know how to work it. Fortunately for the Cleveland Browns, Andrew Berry is a wizard in this art. The current general manager has done a great job moving assets around, which is why there should be no reason to panic as the team is nearly $20 million in the red heading into the offseason.

As long as Jimmy Haslem is still fine with paying massive bonuses, Berry will continue to kick the can down the road. The money will come due eventually, but then they can kick the "eventually" part down the road as well. Of course, that doesn't mean they should just throw out contracts without being smart. Thankfully, this also hasn't been an issue.

Cleveland has done well with extending players they believe are long-term answers while filling spots with one-year additions. Oftentimes, that includes low-risk/high-reward signings such as Malik McDowell or Maurice Hurst. With that in mind, we look at five players they can target in 2024 who might be affordable but come in at a lower rate.

5. K'Lavon Chaisson, Linebacker

The Browns have always had a soft spot for LSU players, so they surely took a long look at K'Lavon Chaisson during the 2020 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder was seen as an ascending pass-rusher and landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round — No. 20 overall.

Throughout his first four years in the league, he's shown flashes but has yet to take off. Chaisson has 73 tackles and 5.0 sacks in a rotational role for the Jags, with 2021 being his best season. That year, he had 31 tackles while starting eight games.

A change of scenery seems to be in order for him and landing with Cleveland could be a win. Under Jim Schwartz, he would be able to attack the quarterback more than he did with the Jags. And as is the case with the others on this list, there's not much risk if it doesn't pan out.

4. Isaiah McKenzie, Wide Receiver

With Jakeem Grant unable to suit up for the past two seasons, he's likely going to be heading out of town without ever playing a regular season game for the Browns. That will be a frustrating end for the former Pro Bowler but Cleveland should continue to look for someone who can specialize in the return game.

Donovan Peoples-Jones and James Proche each had a shot over the past couple of years and neither stood out. Proche is now a free agent and DPJ will be as well, although he was traded away at the deadline. That means the Browns will either need to look to the draft or free agency for a return man — and thankfully, there could be one available with ties to the coaching staff.

Isaiah McKenzie was with the Buffalo Bills for five seasons and had his best campaign in 2022 when Ken Dorsey was the offensive coordinator. That year, he had 423 yards and four touchdowns on offense and was able to sign with the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason.

He wasn't much of a factor with Indy and will again hit the open market. Perhaps reuniting with Dorsey would appeal to him — and it might be worthwhile for Cleveland as well. Even if they don't see him as a huge piece of the offensive puzzle, McKenzie has excellent speed and has 722 yards on punt returns with a touchdown as well as 1,264 yards on kick returns. Throw in the fact that he might be willing to sign on the cheap and this is a risk worth taking.

3. J.K. Dobbins, Running Back

A former standout at Ohio State. J.K. Dobbins has yet to take off in the NFL. He did perform well as a rookie for the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 when he had 805 yards and nine touchdowns but he then missed his entire sophomore campaign when he tore his ACL in the preseason.

He fought back to the field in 2022 but in Week 6, he again found himself suffering a knee injury. He was sent back to the IR but returned late in the season. Dobbins finished with 520 yards and two touchdowns on the ground with another 42 yards and a score as a receiver.

Most importantly, he felt healthy enough to take off in 2023. Sadly, he was dealt another blow that prevented that from happening. This time, it was a torn Achilles in Week 1. The fourth-year back now has appeared in just 24 games and there's a chance no one will want to give him a shot since he can't stay healthy.

That could lead to him taking an incredibly affordable deal which could be something the Browns should consider. It's tough to imagine since they'll already be waiting on Nick Chubb to get healthy but there's no denying the reward they could land should Dobbins stay healthy would be worth any risk they incur. And the good news is that they already know they can lean on Jerome Ford if they made such a move and it were to fail.

2. Randy Gregory, EDGE

A former Nebraska star, Randy Gregory has had a tough time in the NFL. He was often suspended during his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys due to an inability to stay compliant with the league's substance abuse program. When they finally softened their stance on marijuana, Gregory was able to start playing with more regularity.

From 2015 through 2021, he was with the Cowboys and suited up for 50 games. He had 85 tackles and 16.5 sacks with six of those coming in his final campaign. Dallas believed he would continue to make an impact and they agreed to a five-year extension with him. However, they put some language in the deal to protect themselves which drew Gregory's ire.

He wound up leaving and signed the same deal with the Denver Broncos. Dallas wound up winning that battle as Gregory had just 3.0 sacks in 10 games before Denver shipped him to San Francisco. He finished the 2023 season by playing 12 games with the 49ers and had 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks in a rotational role (with his first coming against P.J. Walker of the Browns).

Cleveland, who might need to replace Za'Darius Smith, could look to bring in Gregory as a pass-rushing specialist. He might not ever rack up double-digit sacks but getting between five-to-eight doesn't feel unreasonable. And right now, they could land him for a bargain since there's no guarantee he would be the player they hope he can be.

1. Chase Young, Defensive End

When Chase Young entered the NFL in 2020, he was seen as a potential franchise cornerstone. The No. 2 overall pick out of Ohio State won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award for the Washington Football Team after recording 44 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Since then, however, he's been struggling to make a similar impact.

Young managed to play just 12 games over the next two seasons and had 1.5 sacks in that span. He was finally able to stay healthy in 2023 but Washington had already made the decision to skip on his fifth-year option. They then decided to move on completely, trading him to the San Francisco 49ers at the deadline.

Having him re-join Nick Bosa on a defensive line that also has Arik Armstead and added Randy Gregory seemed to be unfair. That hasn't been the case, however.

Young played in nine games for San Francisco this season had had just 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks — after recording 15 tackles and 5.0 sacks for Washington in seven games. Making matters worse, he was seen not giving full effort in their win over Detroit during the playoffs which will likely lead to some serious questions as he hits the open market.

Couple that image with his durability concerns and Young isn't likely to strike a long-term deal this offseason. That could be good for someone such as the Browns who might be able to get him into town on a one-year, "prove-it" deal. Worst case scenario, they continue to roll with Alex Wright across from Myles Garrett ‚ and Wright has been taking off as of late. But there's a potential for quite the award as well should they get a motivated Young on their defensive line.

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