December 22, 2024

NFL free agency: 5 players that could still end up on Browns roster

Cordarrelle Patterson, Isaiah Simmons are two versatile free agents still on the market

New England Patriots v Cleveland Browns

NFL free agency really never ends. While most of the big names are off the market already and the NFL draft is a month away, teams are consistently looking for ways to upgrade their rosters.

For the Cleveland Browns, GM Andrew Berry has never shied away from making moves that he thinks make sense. While the team’s roster seems to be overflowing with players who should make the 53-man roster, there are a number of free agents that could still be added if the price is right.

Veterans, like Shelby Harris last year, seem drawn to what the Browns are building which has led to several one-year deals already this offseason:

  • QB Tyler Huntley
  • DT Maurice Hurst
  • RB D’Onta Foreman
  • RB Nyheim Hines
  • DT Quinton Jefferson
  • OT Hakeem Adeniji
  • LB Devin Bush
  • WR James Proche II
  • OL Michael Dunn
  • TE Giovanni Ricci
  • CB Tony Brown

While Cleveland may not be aggressive in looking to add players at this point, there are five free agents that could fit what the Browns are looking for. There isn’t space for all five but each could fill a role:

  • RB/WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson – The return of Proche and the addition of Nyheim Hines likely takes the Browns out of the Patterson chase but not completely. Patterson could come in and compete with David Bell for a roster spot and provide insurance behind Proche and Hines at multiple positions.
  • LB Isaiah Simmons – Much like the addition of Bush, Simmons is a former first-round pick who hasn’t developed from a versatile athlete into a solid pro yet. At just 26 years old, Simmons is the type of player Berry has loved to give chances to.
  • CB Myles Bryant – A somewhat surprising player to find on the list still, Bryant played in 75% of New England’s defensive snaps last year and is only 26 years old. His PFF grades vacillated game to game last year but he spent most of his time as a slot cornerback where Cameron Mitchell and Greg Newsome II played last year. A third slot guy gives the team some depth but also could fit if Newsome is traded.
  • LB Jordan Kunaszyk
  • LB Matthew Adams

Two players who gave the Browns a lot of snaps on special teams but remain on the free-agent market. The linebacker group is the thinnest of Cleveland’s roster currently which is why three from that position are on this list.

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