Cleveland Browns notable free agents still unsigned

John Johnson III, Safety

Ronnie Harrison isn't the only Cleveland safety from last year still looking for a job. John Johnson III, who was a huge addition in 2021, is also still on the market.

Johnson began his career with the Los Angeles Rams and was considered one of the top safeties when he hit the open market. Cleveland swooped in, signing him to a three-year deal. Their hope was that JJ3 would solidify the back end of their defense.

While he wasn't bad during his first season, he also wasn't living up to expectations. Then in 2022, he regressed in a major way. What's worse is, he also called out teammates for a lack of effort while simultaneously avoiding tackles in a loss to Baltimore.

Johnson was released in the offseason and Cleveland replaced him with Juan Thornhill and Rodney McLeod. There were rumors the Vikings were interested early in free agency but nothing materialized and he's still waiting for his shot in 2023.

Deion Jones, Linebacker

The Atlanta Falcons wanted to move on from Deion Jones and the Browns needed linebackers after Anthony Walker was lost for the season. That led to a trade that made everyone happy as Jones was sent to Cleveland where they voided out the final year of his deal.

Jones was then able to audition for free agency and he played well for the most part. In 11 games, he had 44 tackles, 2.5 sacks (good enough for third on the team), and an interception. For whatever reason, that wasn't enough to get him a new deal so far this offseason.

Cleveland re-signed Walker as well as Sione Takitaki, so adding Jones feels like a longshot. But if someone else suffered an injury and he was still there, that could change.