Offseason In Review: Cleveland Browns

Despite early predictions the Browns would target a quarterback with their glut of 2026 draft capital, they instead moved down from the sixth to the ninth overall pick to add their new left tackle, Spencer Fano. The subsequent selections of wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, as well as safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, earned Berry praise for a second straight draft.

But the biggest move was yet to come. A late-March tweak to Myles Garrett’s contract opened the door to a trade, and despite Berry’s insistence to the contrary, the Browns fielded offers for the future Hall of Famer. Less than six months after Garrett set the NFL’s single-season sack record, he was shipped off to the Rams, firmly establishing them as Super Bowl favorites. Cleveland did not make out poorly in the deal, replacing Garrett with an ascending talent in Jared Verse and adding first-, second-, and third-round picks over the next three drafts. 

Though a new head coach will never enter a season with such an approach, another year of losing may be necessary for the Browns to land their franchise quarterback in the 2027 draft. Cleveland’s lingering quarterback issue naturally overshadows Berry’s seventh roster, but the team made a host of changes as Monken takes over this fixer-upper. 

Trades:

• Traded EDGE Myles Garrett to the Rams for EDGE Jared Verse, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 second-rounder, conditional 2029 third
• Acquired OL Tytus Howard from Texans for No. 141; sides agreed on two-year, $45MM extension

The Browns’ entire starting offensive line was set to hit free agency as the new league year approached. Berry filled one hole via trade, sending a fifth-round pick to the Texans in exchange for Howard.

The former first-rounder’s past experience at every position except center gave Cleveland flexibility as it built the rest of the unit. The deal came with an additional cost: a two-year extension — one including $34.5MM guaranteed at signing — as part of the trade that placed Howard among the league’s top-20 highest-paid linemen. 

Howard, 30, has 93 career starts on his resume. While he has played four of the five O-line positions as pro, the 2019 first-rounder mostly vacillated between right tackle and left guard in Houston. Last season, Howard logged 555 RT snaps, 334 at left guard and 132 at right guard. Howard only has three other career snaps at RG. He enters his Cleveland tenure with 3,515 RT snaps and 1,762 at LG.

The Browns’ moves later in the offseason stationed Howard at right tackle to start his Cleveland run. Previously extended (three years, $56MM) to play right tackle in Houston, Howard has a durability record the Browns’ previous RT did not.

Howard missed 10 games in 2023 but played in all but two Texans games over the past two seasons. He was also a 17-game starter during a rebuilding 2022 campaign. The Browns had seen longtime RT Jack Conklin battle injuries for most of his tenure, and he will give way to another ex-AFC South first-rounder — who enters the ’26 season as the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid right tackle.

A few weeks later, the Browns tweaked Garrett’s contract, pushing his annual option bonus payment dates back to the start of the regular season. Smoke surrounding a potential trade never fully disappeared considering Garrett requested a move out of Cleveland following the 2024 season. He was sufficiently mollified with a four-year, $160MM extension in March 2025, but another losing season reignited his desire for greener pastures that included a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl. 

Berry insisted – protested too much, perhaps – the contract adjustment had nothing to do with a potential trade, but teams were again circling. After setting the NFL’s single-season sack record and winning his second Defensive Player of the Year award, Garrett was expected to command as much, if not more, than the trade haul the Packers sent to the Cowboys for Micah Parsons last year.

The package the Rams ended up assembling, despite Garrett being nearly four years older than Parsons, reflects the former’s place among the game’s all-time great edge rushers. Multiple teams submitted offers for Garrett, but the Rams – who previously attempted to acquire him in 2022 – were unsurprisingly the most fervent bidders. Needing to replace Garrett off the edge, Berry insisted on the Rams including 2024 first-round pick Jared Verse in the deal along with the three high draft choices (the haul will most likely be first-, second- and third-rounders, as the 2029 third would become a first only if the Rams trade Garrett to an AFC North team).

Garrett, who had dug in his heels for weeks following his previous trade request only to be appeased via a then-record-setting $40MM-per-yer extension, waived his no-trade clause a year later and headed to Los Angeles. This move followed the Rams’ Trent McDuffie trade and played a big part in convincing Aaron Donald to come out of retirement. The Garrett trade turned the Rams from a Super Bowl contender to the clear frontrunner.

Berry was not the Browns’ GM when Garrett was drafted first overall in 2017, but he was in the front office under then-honcho Sashi Brown. Garrett was part of Cleveland’s 0-16 season as a rookie and became an immediate impact player.

After a perception-reshaping incident against the Steelers in 2019 — the helmet strike on Mason Rudolph — Garrett still managed to collect a then-EDGE-record five-year, $125MM extension coming off a suspension. That bet paid off, as the Texas A&M-developed dynamo racked up five first-team All-Pro honors over the next six years.

Setting the Browns’ career sack record (125.5) in the process, Garrett won Defensive Player of the Year acclaim in 2023 — Schwartz’s first season as Cleveland’s DC — and helped a battered team make a surprising playoff appearance. The Browns’ issues after that stunning Joe Flacco-guided surge restored Garrett as a veteran trapped on a losing team. One of Adam La Rose’s April PFR mailbags hinted at this year bringing a key opportunity for the Browns to sell high on Garrett and accelerate their rebuild, and it was clear the team had this in the works for a while — as the deal was finalized shortly after 4pm ET on June 1.

By trading Garrett after that point, the Browns split his dead money figure over two years. Accumulating a whopping $118MM-plus in dead money — a figure that somehow does not approach the 2026 Dolphins’ NFL-record total — this year, the Browns are taking on $21.37MM in Garrett dead cap in 2026. Next year, Garrett will count $25.56MM against Cleveland’s cap.

Browns fans were understandably dismayed at losing the face of their franchise and arguably the best defender in team history. But acquiring Verse was a shrewd move by Berry.

The 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year recorded just 12 sacks in his first two seasons, but his 157 quarterback pressures trailed just two edge rushers in that span: Garrett and Josh Hines-Allen, per Pro Football Focus. The 25-year-old Verse has two years left on his rookie contract, plus a fifth-year option for 2028 that will come in at the highest tier due to his two original-ballot Pro Bowl nods. 

A franchise is never in a good place when it makes the most sense to trade away its best player, especially when he is one of the most dominant forces in the league. However, moving Garrett was likely the Browns’ best move for their long-term future – if Berry can continue to hit on his picks. Verse plus three high-value draft choices represents one of the biggest sell-high moves in NFL history. Still, Browns fans seeing Garrett on a high-profile Rams team may be difficult this season.

Notable losses:

• Joel Bitonio, LG
• Devin Bush, LB
• Jack Conklin, RT
• Jerome Ford, RB
• Shelby Harris, DT
• Rayshawn Jenkins, S
• Cornelius Lucas, LT
• Ethan Pocic, C
• Cam Robinson, LT
• Wyatt Teller, RG
• Cedric Tillman Jr., WR (waived)

The Browns’ offensive line (and Nick Chubb, when healthy) was arguably the offense’s saving grace during Stefanski’s tenure. But injuries, age, and overall regression slowly took their toll, leading Berry and Monken to turn over the unit this offseason. 

Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller had long been one of the league’s best guard duos for years. Bitonio, a 2014 second-round pick, spent the entirety of his 12-year career in Cleveland and retired in June rather than consider offers from other teams. Drafted during Ray Farmer’s GM tenure, Bitonio teamed with Hall of Fame left tackle Joe Thomas for four seasons before being the anchor of the next set of Browns O-lines. 

Following Thomas’ 2018 retirement, Bitonio earned All-Pro recognition in five consecutive years. The standout interior blocker helped Chubb to four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and was a key piece for a 2023 Browns team that had lost both starting tackles and Chubb. That Flacco-led playoff push brought a final highlight for Bitonio, who began and ended his career on struggling Browns rosters. While Monken said he would be open to re-signing Bitonio, the decorated blocker walked away at 34.

Teller, originally a Bills 2018 fifth-round pick, arrived via trade in 2019 and quickly took over the starting guard job opposite Bitonio. The two combined for nine Pro Bowls and four second-team All-Pro nods during their time together. (Bitonio earned first-team honors in 2021 and 2022, while Teller was a second-teamer in 2020 and ’21).

The Browns extended both guards during the 2021 season, giving Bitonio a three-year deal worth $48MM and Teller a four-year pact worth $56.8MM. While Bitonio stayed healthy, Teller combined to miss eight games between the 2024 and ’25 seasons. Teller, who had been linked to another Browns deal early last season, bid farewell to the team in mid-February and ended up in Houston on a two-year, $16MM deal. 

Jack Conklin and Ethan Pocic both spent less time in Cleveland – six and four years, respectively – with somewhat similar arcs. Conklin arrived in free agency in 2020 and immediately earned a first-team All-Pro nod, helping the Browns to their first playoff berth in 18 years, but injuries limited him to just 42 games over the next four years, including seven in 2022, one in 2021, and eight in 2025.

Pocic had put forth quality play after signing with the Browns in 2022 but regressed by 2024 and tore his Achilles in Week 14 of the 2025 season. No team has signed Conklin, who has two ACL tears and a patellar tendon tear on his medical sheet, while the Ravens added Pocic on a one-year, $3.25MM accord.

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Cleveland had significantly less turnover on defense. Shelby Harris had been a reliable run-stuffer for the past three years, but the team’s youth movement swept through the defensive trenches as well and sent the 35-year-old on his way. Harris became part of the Giants’ post-Dexter Lawrence solution.

Devin Bush was a more notable Browns departure. The former Steelers No. 10 pick revived his career in Cleveland, stepping up after Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s severe neck injury in 2024 and starting every game in 2024.

Bush racked up a career-high 125 tackles and put forth an elite performance in coverage, allowing just 5.4 yards per target and recording three interceptions which he returned for a league-leading 164 yards and two touchdowns. But after the emergence of 2025 second-round pick and DROY Carson Schwesinger as the Browns’ long-term MIKE linebacker, the team was comfortable letting Bush walk for a multiyear deal in Chicago. 

Re-signings: 

• Teven Jenkins, RG: One year, $4MM ($3.96MM guaranteed)
• Corey Bojorquez, P: One year, $2MM ($938K guaranteed)
• Ronnie Hickman, S: One year, $3.52MM (RFA tender)
• Blake Whiteheart, TE: One year, $1.15MM
• Malachi Corley, WR: One year, $1.08MM 
• Rex Sunahara, LS: One year, $1.08MM 
• Jamari Thrash, WR: One year, $1.08MM 
• Andre Szmyt, K: One year, $1MM

As with many teams going through a head coaching change, the Browns were more willing than usual to let their players walk in free agency. Beyond re-signing Teven Jenkins and placing a right-of-first-refusal RFA tender on Ronnie Hickman, the team had little interest in its pending free agents. 

Originally a second-round pick by the Bears in 2021, Jenkins received ample opportunity in Chicago but was not prioritized on a second contract. He took an inexpensive deal to serve as a backup for the Browns’ veterans and started the last four games of the season after an injury to Teller. He impressed enough to earn a modest raise and retain the starting right guard job heading into 2026. 

Hickman played roughly half the Browns’ defensive snaps in his first two seasons after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2023, but he stepped into a full-time role in 2025. Hickman signed his tender in June, locking him in for the 2026 season. PFF ranked Hickman 13th among safeties in 2024 and 30th last season. It will be interesting to see if the Browns view him as a post-2026 piece after drafting Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in Round 2.

Free agency additions:

• Zion Johnson, G: Three years, $49.5MM ($32.39MM guaranteed)
• Elgton Jenkins, C/G: Two years, $24MM ($14.6MM guaranteed)
• Quincy Williams, LB: Two years, $13MM ($9MM guaranteed)
• Derek Barnett, DE: One year, $3.5MM ($500K guaranteed)
• Kalia Davis, DT: One year, $2MM ($1.75MM guaranteed)
• Daniel Thomas, S: Two years, $3MM ($1.09MM guaranteed)
• Tylan Wallace, WR: One year, $1.4MM ($125K guaranteed)
• Michael Burton, FB: One year, $1.4MM ($60K guaranteed)
• Sam Williams, DE: Signed 9/1

The Browns moved quickly to restock in the trenches. In the opening days of free agency, the team filled four of its open spots, though the blind side remained vacant heading into the draft. 

After re-signing Jenkins and trading for Howard, the Browns swiftly signed Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins to slot in at left guard and center, respectively. By the end of the first day of the new league year, four of the team’s vacancies were filled with Dawand Jones ready to start at left tackle if needed. 

Johnson, 26, arrives in Cleveland after four years as a starting guard in Los Angeles. The Chargers drafted him with the No. 22 overall pick in 2022 and installed him as the starter right guard after playing almost exclusively on the left side at Boston College. He allowed the sixth-most pressures of any guard as a rookie, per PFF, though his 67.2 run-blocking grade was still a top-20 mark.

A move back to left guard in 2023 yielded a similar performance in 2023 and 2024, but Johnson’s pressure rate and pass block efficiency took notable steps forward last year. He also cut down on the penalties that plagued him at the start of his career; he was flagged 14 times in his first two years and just eight times since. PFR had Johnson ranked eighth (as the top guard available) in this year’s free agency class.

The Browns identified Johnson as a young, long-term addition to their offensive line and made him the NFL’s 16th-highest-paid guard. He will stay at left guard in Cleveland, where new O-line coach George Warhop will be hoping to get the most out of the former first-round pick.

To fill the void at center, the Browns turned to Jenkins, a longtime starter for the Packers coming off a season-ending leg injury. Originally a second-round pick in 2019, the 30-year-old started games at every offensive line position in Green Bay but spent the vast majority of his time at guard, earning Pro Bowl invites in 2020 and 2022.

The Packers’ roster makeup forced Jenkins into the starting center job last year, which initially caused a standoff between player and club. Jenkins had two years left on his deal and wanted a contract adjustment to protect his future earnings, either via a raise or additional guaranteed money. The Packers continued their policy of not negotiating with players before their contract year, leaving Jenkins with little recourse but to suit up in the hopes of cashing in the following offseason. 

That plan never came to fruition. Jenkins played well at center before going down with a broken fibula. His concerns about his financial future came true, as the injury, his age, and move to center conspired to suppress his value in free agency. But the Browns were willing to bet on the former Pro Bowl guard, signing him soon after his Packers release, to take over as their starting center. 

With their offensive line addressed, the Browns turned their attention to replacing Devin Bush, who joined the Bears for $30MM over three years. To fill the gap, Berry signed Quincy Williams on a contract that could turn out to be a steal. The former Jet was a first-team All-Pro in 2023, playing under Rutenberg (New York’s LBs coach from 2021-24), but his play – along with that of New York’s entire defense – slipped in the following two years. 

Williams was still productive in that span, logging 5.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, 11 passes defended, and four forced fumbles, but he was no longer the same force multiplier. Linebacker play tends to age gracefully in the NFL, especially for experienced starters like Williams, so there is reason to believe the 30-year-old ILB can bounce back next to reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger in Cleveland this year. 

After starting defensive end Alex Wright went down with a torn Achilles during training camp, the Browns quickly brought in former Eagles and Texans edge rusher Derek Barnett to add some experienced depth to the room.

The 30-year-old posted five sacks in each of the last two seasons in a rotational role in Houston and will aim to bring that consistency to Cleveland’s pass rush. The Browns also signed former Cowboy Sam Williams after 53-man roster cuts, giving him a chance for a fresh start after a disappointing four years in Dallas.

Unlike John Harbaugh and the Giants, Monken did not populate his Browns roster with players he coached in Baltimore. Veteran wide receiver Tylan Wallace was the only ex-Raven to make the in-division switch. He will likely continue to serve as a key run blocker and special teams contributor as he did in Baltimore for the last five years. 

Draft:

• Round 1, No. 9 (from Chiefs): Spencer Fano (T, Utah) (signed)
• Round 1, No. 24 (from Jaguars): KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 39: Denzel Boston (WR, Washington) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 58 (from 49ers): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (S, Toledo) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 86 (from Chargers): Austin Barber (T, Florida) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 146: Parker Brailsford (C, Alabama) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 149 (from Bengals): Justin Jefferson (LB, Alabama) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 170 (from Broncos): Joe Royer (TE, Cincinnati) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 182 (from Jets via several teams): Taylen Green (QB, Arkansas) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 248 (from Seahawks): Carsen Ryan (TE, BYU) (signed)

The Browns amassed extra 2026 draft capital in 2025 (via the Travis Hunter trade) with an eye on a quarterback class that saw a significant amount of talent stay in college for another year. With Fernando Mendoza spoken for by the Raiders, Cleveland opted not to reach on its next-highest-ranked quarterback with the No. 6 pick and instead traded down with the Chiefs, who wanted LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

Berry picked up extra third- and fifth-round picks to drop down to No. 9, where he targeted one of wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and offensive linemen Spencer Fano and Francis Mauigoa. Tyson went to the Saints at No. 8, but both blockers were on the board when the Browns came back on the clock. Berry received more offers to trade down but instead went with Fano, the first offensive lineman drafted this year.

The 21-year-old was widely viewed as a first-round prospect after a stellar career for the Utes. After second-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024, Fano earned, well, every award possible in 2025. He was named a unanimous All-American, the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and also took home the Outland Trophy for college football’s best player in the trenches on either side of the ball. 

Despite his sub-33-inch arms, the Browns still saw Fano as a tackle and prized the athleticism that allowed him to compensate for his length. The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder posted elite speed and jumping numbers at the Combine and further impressed in positional drills. His team captaincy and on-field nasty streak also checked key intangible boxes for the front office. After arriving in Cleveland, he quickly took up residency at left tackle, his starting spot as a true freshman in Utah before switching to right tackle for his next two years. 

Concepcion, 21, started for two years at NC State before transferring to Texas A&M in 2025; he racked up 919 receiving yards and an SEC-high nine touchdowns through the air as an Aggie. The 6-foot, 190-pound wideout earned consensus All-American and first-team All-SEC honors, as well as the Paul Hornung award as the most versatile player in college football after logging rushing and punt-return scores during the season.

Known for his athleticism and skills after the catch, Concepcion will take on a featured role in Monken’s offense right away, likely with a healthy dose of designed touches that will let him work with the ball in his hands. The Browns viewed Boston as a first-round receiving talent, too. They considered drafting him at No. 24 and trading back into the first round even after going with Concepcion. Despite the positional overlap, however, the two wideouts are very different players.

Boston is not as sudden or fluid of an athlete as his new teammate, but he offers a much bigger frame (6-4, 215 pounds) and more reliable hands at the catch point. He also plays with more physicality, especially as a blocker, which should help him see the field as a rookie. The 22-year-old spent all four years of his college career at Washington but was not as productive as Concepcion, topping out at 881 receiving yards as a senior. He did reel in 20 touchdowns in his final two collegiate campaigns, another sign of a potential red zone role in Cleveland. 

The Browns used the rest of their picks to fortify depth and plan for the future, moving around on several occasions across the remainder of the draft. They traded up 12 picks on Day 2 for Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who profiles as a potential replacement for Ronnie Hickman, should he leave in free agency next year. Similarly, offensive linemen Austin Barber and Parker Brailsford are likely seen as successors for right tackle Tytus Howard and center Elgton Jenkins. 

Cleveland also threw a sixth-round dart at quarterback Taylen Green. His rushing ability electrified crowds at both Boise State and Arkansas, but his completion percentage never eclipsed 61% in four years as a starter (two at each school).

Green only appeared in one preseason game and averaged 8.3 yards per rush but just 3.9 yards per passing attempt. That was enough to earn him a 53-man roster spot as the fourth-string quarterback behind Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. 

Extensions and restructures:

• Restructured QB Deshaun Watson’s contract, creating $35.76MM in cap space
• Signed CB Denzel Ward to a two-year, $62.2MM extension ($39.8MM guaranteed)
• Signed S Grant Delpit to a three-year, $45MM extension ($26.47MM guaranteed)
• Negotiated $2.1MM pay cut with T Dawand Jones

The Browns continued their annual tradition of restructuring Watson’s contract, converting $44.7MM of his salary to a signing bonus and prorating it across the remaining four void years in his deal. The move saved $35.76MM in cap space and reduced Watson’s cap hit to $36.01MM, per OverTheCap. 

Cleveland is now slated to take on $87.55MM in dead money if they part ways with Watson next offseason. Owner Jimmy Haslam left the door open to an extension should Watson defy all expectations with a resurgent performance this season, but barring that unlikely outcome, he seems destined for a post-June 1 cut — which would divide that dead cap hit between two offseasons — at the start of the 2027 league year. 

The NFL’s cornerback market exploded last year with Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. both signing deals worth $30MM per year. Trent McDuffie took advantage of his trade to the Rams and demanded a $31MM AAV to set a new high-water mark this spring. That brought Denzel Ward – coming off his fifth career and third straight Pro Bowl selection – to the negotiating table for a raise on the $20.1MM-per-year deal he signed in 2022. 

The eight-year veteran secured a two-year extension worth $62.2MM at the end of July, briefly placing him atop the market before Devon Witherspoon reset it entirely with his $33MM AAV deal with the Seahawks. 

Ward is now signed through the 2029 season, but even he knows he may not fit with Cleveland’s long-term timeline. The 29-year-old acknowledged in August that he “can still be traded,” which could grow as a possibility if the Browns are sellers at this year’s deadline. But Cleveland also extended 28-year-old safety Grant Delpit soon after, suggesting they want to build their secondary around the two. 

Delpit, 28, was entering the final season of a three-year extension signed in 2023. He earned a solid $3MM per year bump in pay, making him the 11th-highest-paid player at his position. The 2020 second-round pick across his five years in Cleveland (four as a starter) and will likely continue to do so in Rutenberg’s scheme. Next to him this year, at least initially, will be Ronnie Hickman, but the Browns may have their eye on second-round pick Emmanuel McNeil-Warren as his successor and a long-term running mate for Delpit.

Other:

• Named Deshaun Watson starting quarterback
• Placed LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on reserve/PUP list
• Placed QB Dillon Gabriel on IR
• Backed out of one-year agreement with DE A.J. Epenesa
  
• Lost DE Alex Wright to season-ending torn Achilles
• Claimed CB Toriano Pride off waivers
• Signed 13 UDFAs

The Browns entered their offseason program without a clear starting quarterback, and the competition remained wide open heading into training camp. 2025 third-round pick Dillon Gabriel was technically in the mix, but it was clearly a two-man race between Deshaun Watson and 2025 fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders.

Neither played particularly well in the preseason, but Sanders led in completion percentage and yards per attempt by a significant margin (via PFF). He appeared to have the momentum, but Monken named Watson the starter after roster cuts — much to the frustration of Browns fans. 

Factoring in Watson’s five-year, $230MM fully guaranteed contract and underwhelming (putting it mildly) performance in Cleveland, it is easy to label the Browns’ 2022 trade for the former Texans Pro Bowler as the worst in NFL history. Watson, 30, is still on the Browns’ payroll only because of that historic extension. His play and unreliability have provided a shockingly poor return on investment.

Barring a mesmerizing turnaround from Watson this season, the sides will go their separate ways in 2027. Sanders’ rookie contract runs through 2028, but with the Browns having acquired an additional first-round pick (plus extra second- and third-round capital) in the Garrett trade, it is fairly safe to say the team does not believe its long-term starter is currently on the roster.

Sanders, who began last season as Cleveland’s QB3 behind Flacco and Gabriel, is Watson’s backup. Chosen two rounds after Gabriel last year, Sanders fared better than the undersized third-rounder in 2025. While Haslam called the Watson trade a “big swing and miss” in spring 2025, the owner walked back that assessment to some degree — as Monken brought the struggling passer back into the mix — this offseason.

Monken’s arrival undoubtedly helped Watson, who missed all of 2025 due to two Achilles tears. Though, with Watson likely on his way out the door (perhaps out of the league altogether) in 2027, it would stand to reason for the Browns to take another look at Sanders and/or Gabriel this year.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will miss his second straight season following a severe neck injury suffered in 2024. He missed all of 2025 and was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list again in May. At this point, it seems unlikely the 2023 Pro Bowler — who is tied to a three-year, $37.5MM deal — will resume his career. 

Cleveland’s defense will also be without fifth-year D-end Alex Wright, who put together a mini-breakout in 2025 with 5.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 14 games. The 2022 third-round pick signed a three-year, $33MM extension during the 2025 season but will sit out the first year of that deal after tearing his Achilles in training camp.

The Browns signed Derek Barnett shortly after and Sam Williams after roster cuts, but 2023 fourth-rounder Isaiah McGuire will likely get the first crack at the starting job opposite Verse in Week 1. He has largely been effective against the run with 16 tackles for loss in the last two season, but he may not have a high ceiling as a pass rusher. He posted 4.5 sacks in that same span with 29 pressures and a pass rush win rate hovering around 12 in each year, per PFF.

Prior to Wright’s injury, Berry previously chased depth at defensive end, starting with A.J.Epenesa, who racked up 19 sacks and 22 tackles for loss between 2022 and 2024 but managed just 2.5 sacks and two TFLs last year. The two sides agreed to a one-year, $5MM deal, but the Browns backed out after a failed physical. Epenesa later joined the Eagles on a one-year, $1.4MM pact.

Top 10 cap charges for 2026:

1. Deshaun Watson, QB: $40.96MM
2. Denzel Ward, CB: $19.05MM
3. Jerry Jeudy, WR: $10.37MM
4. Mason Graham, DT: $9.29MM
5. Grant Delpit, S: $9.05MM
6. Tytus Howard, OT: $5.98MM
7. Spencer Fano, OT: $5.86MM
8. Maliek Collins, DT: $5.31MM
9. Zion Johnson, G: $5.15MM
10. Tyson Campbell, CB: $4.92MM

After losing arguably the best defensive player in the game and the only head coach who has gotten anything out of this roster in more than two decades, it is difficult to be optimistic about the Browns’ chances this season. Todd Monken’s no-nonsense approach could help him weather the storm, but Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders would have to defy all expectations for any hope of success. More likely, Cleveland ends up finishing a third straight season in the AFC North cellar.

But if Andrew Berry and the Browns’ front office hit on a second straight draft class – finding a franchise left tackle in Spencer Fano and two high-upside starting receivers in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston – Cleveland could once again be a quarterback away from contention. 

Finding that quarterback is a different question altogether, as the Browns know better than any other team. Circumstances will change over the next several months, but at the moment, Cleveland seems inclined to target a strong 2027 quarterback draft class that could include Arch Manning, Dante Moore, and several others. 

The Browns have their own first-round pick as well as the Rams’, though the Los Angeles selection will be expected to arrive late in the round. Another year of double-digit losses should put the Browns in range of at least one coveted QB prospect who could arrive in Cleveland surrounded by an exciting young core on both sides of the ball. For that, though, Browns fans must bear a familiar refrain: next year.