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The Cleveland Browns are at an interesting crossroads. They surprisingly finished in fourth place in the AFC North in 2022. With free agency looming, the Browns head into the final season of quarterback Baker Mayfield’s rookie deal and they haven’t had talks of an extension. The team is also considering franchise tagging tight end David Njoku which came as a surprise since they didn’t really use him consistently in the season.
The Browns have the third-best odds to win the AFC North with +340 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. They have less than ideal odds to win the AFC with +1600 odds and their Super Bowl odds are pretty dismal sitting at +3000.
Cleveland Browns free agency preview
Positional needs: Wide Receiver, Defensive Tackle, and Linebacker
The Odell Beckham Jr. saga is behind the Browns, but Jarvis Landry is not a number one wide receiver like he once was. If Mayfield is going to earn a new contract, the least the organization can do is give him a high-caliber teammate to help him. On the defensive side, Myles Garrett is an absolute beast, but the Browns need to shore up the middle of the defense. They need to pursue a solid defensive tackle and another linebacker to take pressure off Garrett and the very talented secondary of the Browns.
Players to target
Chris Godwin, WR
The Browns have the ninth-most cap space heading into free agency so they have the ability to chip out some change to improve. They don’t typically sign wide receivers to big deals, but Godwin may need to be the exception. He is used to having to fight for targets with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he can be another reliable option that the offensive coordinator can get really creative with for him and Landry.
Linval Joseph, DT
Not every free agency deal needs to be a blockbuster. Joseph was with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 and he is a big body that can help to plug up the middle of the defensive line. He isn’t known for getting after the quarterback, but he can certainly stop the run game. Joseph had the second most tackles among free-agent defensive tackles so he certainly would have value on this line.
Kyzir White, LB
White also played for the Chargers, but he would be a good addition alongside Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah who the Browns selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. White was able to do a little bit of everything and he would help bring more versatility to the linebacker corps for the Browns. Defenses would have a tough time game planning for Garrett, White and JOK as all of them are playmakers and can be effective from a number of spots in the defense.