The Cleveland Browns enter the 2026 offseason with a roster that’s both intriguing and unstable—young talent flashed, but the supporting structure (especially the offensive line) looks like it’s about to fall apart. With premium draft capital and major contract questions, Cleveland’s next moves will shape everything from the quarterback plan to how fantasy managers should view this offense.
This Browns-only breakdown highlights the biggest roster holes, key 2026/2027 free agents, and what Cleveland must prioritize in free agency and the NFL Draft to stabilize the roster.
Pick 6: Cleveland Browns
2026 Free Agents:
- RB: Jerome Ford, Trayveon Williams
- WR: DeAndre Carter, Jamari Thrash (ERFA), Malachi Corley (ERFA)
- TE: David Njoku, Blake Whiteheart (RFA), Brenden Bates (ERFA)
- OL: G Joel Bitonio, G Wyatt Teller, LT Cam Robinson, C Ethan Pocic, G Teven Jenkins
- EDGE: Cam Thomas
- DL: Shelby Harris, Sam Kamara (RFA)
- LB: Devin Bush, Jerome Baker, Winston Reid (ERFA), Mohamoud Diabate (RFA)
- CB: Martin Emerson, D’Angelo Ross, Sam Webb (RFA), Anthony Kendall (ERFA)
- S: Rayshawn Jenkins, Tre Avery, Ronnie Hickman (RFA)
- ST: Corey Bojorquez, Rex Sunahara (ERFA), Andre Szmyt (ERFA)
2027 Free Agents:
- QB: Deshaun Watson
- RB: Ahmani Marshall (ERFA)
- WR: Gage Larvadain (ERFA), Isaiah Wooden (ERFA), Luke Floriea (ERFA)
- TE: Sal Cannella (ERFA), Caden Prieskorn (ERFA)
- OL: LT Cornelius Lucas, OT Tyre Phillips, LT Dawand Jones, C Luke Wypler, G Kendrick Green, OT Jeremiah Byers (ERFA), C Kingsley Eguakun (ERFA), G Jack Conley (ERFA)
- EDGE: Isaiah McGuire
- DL: Maliek Collins
- LB: Edefuan Ulofoshio (ERFA), Nathaniel Watson (RFA)
- S: Grant Delpit, Chris Edmonds (ERFA)
- ST: Nik Constantinou (ERFA)
Team Needs: OL, WR, DT, QB
The Browns are in rough shape entering the 2026 season. Specifically, the offensive line has four of its five starters from 2025 hitting free agency.
Jack Conklin is the lone returner at tackle, but he only played 8 games last season.
It’s a major problem as the OL was bad last year with these guys.
Poor blocking upfront makes it really tough to evaluate the influx of young talent across the Cleveland roster.
Because there is young talent across the skill positions.
The 2025 Browns are the only team since the 1970 merger to have a rookie lead them in pass yards (Shedeur Sanders), rush yards (Quinshon Judkins), receiving yards (Harold Fannin Jr.) – also the fantasy TE6 overall…and tackles (reigning DROY LB Carson Schwesinger) in a season.
Tight end David Njoku is already preparing for life post-Cleveland. Other than Isaiah Likely reuniting with Todd Monken…it looks like Fannin TE1 szn is full go in 2026.
Judkins is more TBD. He is coming off a pretty serious injury (ankle dislocation, fractured fibula) and benefited from a lot of volume – albeit very inefficient- in 2025. Could be more of the same in 2026 behind a potential patchwork offensive line.
Still, the expectation is that he won’t be limited during the offseason periods.
WR is a big area of need for the skill positions that you’d anticipate them using with one of their two first-round picks (6th and 24th).
There’s no additional need for those positions, although the Browns never seem settled at QB.
THE WOLFE OF BALL STREET: EARLY OFF-SEASON PREVIEW
– Why Travis Hunter offense vs. defense usage will change a lot in 2026
– Keep an eye on Trey Hendrickson and Indianapolis Colts
– Browns could go with Shedeur Sanders and/or Deshaun Watson at QB, pass on drafting QB high again pic.twitter.com/1pQ60wmKm3— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) February 14, 2026
New HC Todd Monken did not declare Sanders as the team’s QB1 heading into the offseason. Deshaun Watson is still on the team for at least one more season based on his contract structure. No point in cutting bait now. So, it could be Sanders as the Browns’ QB1… or Watson (recovering from two Achilles injuries). And Dillon Gabriel is also on the roster.
Needless to say, the Browns probably won’t add much of anything at QB until they can finally move on from Watson in 2027. It’s possible that Monken could see something in rookie QB Carson Beck. Coached him at Georgia for three seasons (although Beck was not the starter). Monken has also coached 2026 draft-eligible rookies, including TE Oscar Delp and WR Dillon Bell (potential late-round targets).
The Browns’ major offensive needs are simple. OL and WR. And I’d imagine Monken will have a lot of input, given that part of the appeal of the Browns’ job was building the offensive roster from the ground up.
I’d also add that Jerry Jeudy has an out in his contract in 2027. Jeudy was heavily praised by the former HC, Kevin Stefanski (now in Atlanta).
Jeudy’s former WR coach with the Browns is in Kansas City (Chad O’Shea). The Giants are another interesting spot for Jeudy, given the need for WR (also reunites Jeudy with Jameis Winston).
The Titans could also look at Jeudy, given his Alabama connections to Daboll.
Another coaching nugget for you…Spencer Fano is one of the top tackle prospects in this class (Utah) inside an elite tier with Miami’s Francis Mauigoa (according to NFL Draft Insider, Tony Pauline).
Who coached him in 2024 at Utah? New Browns QB coach, Mike Bajakian. This is the stuff I live for.
As a final note on the offensive line…the Browns also hired George Warhop as the new offensive line coach. He is one of the most well-respected OL coaches in the NFL (although last year’s offensive line in Baltimore was hardly his greatest output).
The Brownies defense was great last year, but how they will manage without DC Jim Schwartz will be worth monitoring (resigned after not being named HC).
Interior defensive line needs more depth, given that DT Shelby Harris will be a FA. The Browns’ run defense disintegrated after losing DT Maliek Collins in the second half of last season (also a 2027 free agent).
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