Cleveland Browns 2023 free agency primer: Main targets, internal free agents
By Randy Gurzi
Cleveland Browns Internal Free Agents
Right now, the Cleveland Browns have several pending free agents who played a vital role during the 2022 season. The biggest names being tossed around are Jadeveon Clowney and Kareem Hunt but there are other major contributors including Ethan Pocic and Jacoby Brissett.
Here's a quick look at who is currently set to hit the open market as both unrestricted free agents (meaning Cleveland can't match any offers from other teams) and restricted free agents (who can be retained if the Browns want to match any offer sheet they sign.
Pending unrestricted free agents
Jacoby Brissett, QB
Kareem Hunt, RB
D'Ernest Johnson, RB
Ethan Pocic, C
Chris Hubbard, OL
Jesse James, TE
Pharaoh Brown, TE
Jadeveon Clowney, DE
Chase Winovich, DE
Stephen Weatherly, DE
Taven Bryan, DT
Deion Jones, LB
Anthony Walker, Jr., LB
Sione Takitaki, LB
Jordan Kunaszyk, LB
Greedy Williams, CB
Ronnie Harrison, S
Pending restricted free agents
Michael Dunn, OT
Chris Odom, DE
A.J. Green, CB
Brissett would be welcomed back for sure as the No. 2 quarterback behind Deshaun Watson but he likely played himself out of town. Cleveland was just 4-7 with him as the starter but they lost several close games that could have gone either way. In all, Brissett completed 64 percent of his attempts for 2,608 yards with 12 touchdowns and six picks.
There should be a few teams in need of stop-gap starters willing to give him a shot. However, if that doesn't come to fruition, look for the Browns to see if he would be willing to return. It's hard to find a trusted backup and he's one of the best in the game.
Pocic is another who probably played his way out of Cleveland. He filled in for an injured Nick Harris and was one of the top centers in the game. Harris is still unproven but he's young, affordable, and the coaching staff still believes he's a starter.
If there were any free agents the Browns had to try and keep, that would include A.J. Green and Sione Takitaki. Outside of those two, the rest could be replaced — even Anthony Walker, who is a solid starter but has had issues staying healthy over the past two seasons.