After their season ended surprisingly and prematurely, the Cleveland Browns are in full offseason mode.
Having made some changes along their coaching staff, hopefully for the better, it will soon be on to the roster, and boy are there some big questions needing answers.
When it comes to this offseason, notable players and their situations, the Browns have some key decisions to make. Let's boil it down to four of the toughest.
1. Do the Browns cut Jack Conklin?
Cleveland has a tough call to make on starting offensive tackle Jack Conklin. On one hand, Conklin is one of the best tackles in the game when healthy. But, health has been the main concern over the last few years. Most recently, Conklin tore his MCL and ACL last September in the Week 1 season opener against Cincinnati.
In 2022, Conklin played 14 games. But, the year prior, he played in just seven. It's been a tough road for Conklin since joining the Browns coming over from Tennessee. He's seen an All Pro selection and at the same time has endured some nasty injuries. If Cleveland were to cut Conklin this offseason, they'd have $13 million left in dead money. However, his contract would be off the books and they'd start saving in 2025.
Finding a new, long-term option could be a priority, especially because of the Browns being cash-strapped at the moment. Could they trade Conklin? Maybe, but it would be difficult to find a team ready to take on the remainder of his contract.
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2. Is Joe Flacco going to return?
The Deshaun Watson contract could go down as one of the worst decisions by any NFL team in league history. The trade, itself, cost Cleveland an arm and a leg in draft capital. But, the fully-guaranteed contract is a whole different beast of a discussion.
Let's just add one more layer to the Watson situation, though, shall we? Enter: Joe Flacco. What a comeback story.
This man single-handedly saved the Browns' season and became the hero all Cleveland fans never knew they needed. It's hard to argue with how impressive Flacco was down the stretch, especially coming in on the fly like he did.
Watson is the team's starter. But, if Flacco is brought back, could there be a chance of a controversy over the summer? This league is all about "what have you done for me lately?" as we know. Fans are not kind, especially when it comes to the quarterback position.
And, specifically, the quarterback position in Cleveland? That's a whole different level of starvation. These fans want to see a winner under center, and we know Flacco is just that. So, Watson could have some added pressure if the team decides to re-sign Flacco.
3. How does Cleveland approach the Nick Chubb situation?
After suffering a gruesome knee injury to end his season last year, running back Nick Chubb will now enter the final year of his contract with the Browns. In 2024, his cap number is set to be $15.825 million. Here's the kicker, though: if Cleveland were to cut him, they could save $11.825 million in doing so.
The Browns already have an insurance policy in Jerome Ford, and as we know, running backs are highly replaceable in today's NFL.
Cleveland will probably end up asking Chubb to take a pay cut if he'd like to remain with the team, rather than releasing him. It seems like the right thing to do on both sides, and we've seen similar situations recently with guys like Joe Mixon and Aaron Jones agreeing to take reductions in their salary.
Chubb seems like a lifelong Brown. It's in his DNA to finish his career with Cleveland. We're talking about maybe the best pure runner in the league over the past few years and a guy in a long line of talented Browns backs over their illustrious history.
In the end, I would assume he and the team can come to an agreement on a proper paycut that keeps him around and potentially part of another playoff run this coming season.
4. Is Za'Darius Smith going to return?
Za'Darius Smith was an integral part of the Browns tough defense last season and paired well with Myles Garrett. While he didn't necessarily put up staggering numbers, it was his presence alongside Garrett which made the biggest difference. Teams now had to account for another top-end pass rusher in addition to Garrett.
At 31 years old, Smith put up 5.5 sacks, 29 quarterback pressures and nine quarterback hurries. Again, it wasn't his best year by any means. But, he was serviceable, and his presence meant more than the numbers showed.
The Browns are over the cap, as it stands, which is going to make re-signing the free agent edge rusher a bit difficult.. Smith made $11.7 million in 2023, and based on performance alone, the Browns could try and bring him back for less than that. This might also be a situation where Smith takes a lower salary to try and run it back with a defense that saw so much success.
Again, with limited draft capital and tight finances, the Browns would sure love to have a discount on a player like Smith.