A couple of days into free company, the Browns nonetheless have a whole lot of work to do

We at the moment are a number of days into the 2025 NFL league, and the Cleveland Browns have made a handful of strikes. Once you have a look at the crew’s up to date depth chart that features these strikes, the crew nonetheless has a bit of labor to do.

The Largest Transfer So Far

Photograph by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos

By far, the most important transfer for the Browns got here on the eve of free company, once they prolonged the contract of DE Myles Garrett, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback within the NFL. Garrett pivoted from his stance that he wished to be traded, and now believes within the path the Browns are heading. I known as Garrett’s bluff all alongside, and he will get more cash alongside the way in which.

Garrett remaining with the crew was necessary to take care of their try at defensive dominance. Cleveland was an amazing defensive crew in 2023, earlier than slipping fairly a bit this previous season — however Garrett remained constant. Nonetheless, I do imagine a part of Garrett’s public outcry was to place strain on the entrance workplace to give attention to making an attempt to contend within the fast future, versus making an attempt a rebuild of types.

What Do We Have So Far?

To this point, it has been a fairly pedestrian free company interval for the Browns. They:

And that’s about it. Nearly the entire Browns’ personal free brokers are nonetheless obtainable on the open market, though they did deliver one in every of them again in Devin Bush.

Depth is necessary, however none of these strikes are going to take Cleveland from a 3-14 season to the postseason. And so they definitely aren’t the kind of strikes that might have, theoretically, satisfied Garrett to stick with Cleveland.

Inquiries to Reply

Photograph by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Photos

Taking a better have a look at that depth chart, quarterback stays an important query mark on the crew. Kirk Cousins isn’t being launched by the Falcons, which introduces a little bit of a curveball into that attainable state of affairs. Russell Wilson got here in for a go to, however that’s not shifting the needle for followers. The man who would transfer the needle, even when it’s blind optimism, is Joe Flacco — and Cleveland nonetheless appears to refuse to entertain the thought regardless of his magical run to shut out the 2023 season.

If the Browns wait till the draft to handle the quarterback place, one must assume they’re taking a quarterback at No. 2 total. I’m rather more excited by getting a steady veteran who head coach Kevin Stefanski can work with, after which taking Abdul Carter No. 2 total.

The Actual Work to be Accomplished

The quarterback place stays paramount, however the Browns’ upgrades this offseason are going to depend on this stuff:

Bettering with a robust draft class
Shedding themselves of Deshaun Watson and the offensive system that got here with him
Going again to what labored below Kevin Stefanski, together with (hopefully) the zone blocking scheme for the offensive line

On protection, I’d additionally say that Jim Schwartz has to make some changes, because it’s been proven that his aggressive type of protection has been discovered.

Browns followers, what do you assume must be completed for Cleveland to have a drastically completely different 2025 marketing campaign?