The high tide of NFL free agency typically comes and goes in a matter of hours. After the window for free agency officially opened on March 13 at 4 p.m., the next few hours are a barrage of signings and contract numbers, with this year bringing the NFL the added boost of a Kirk Cousins free agency experience.
But once that window closes, there’s typically still a bevy of quality free agents that have been left out of the shuffle and enter OTAs without a new destination either because spots they thought would be open closed, an injury made teams stay away or they’re simply asking for too much money.
The Browns are no stranger to navigating the free agent market — and not only in the offseason. Remember, Cleveland signed NFL Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco halfway through the season. While the team and roster at the top of the depth chart look all but set at the majority of positions, it’s coming off an AFC Wild Card berth and hoping to capitalize on their win-now window under Deshaun Watson.
Of the remaining free agents, here are three that the Browns could bring in before OTAs are complete to help their chances next season.
If the Browns feel unsatisfied with how their draft shook out and where their wide receiver room stands, Renfrow becomes an intriguing possibility. There’s no shortage of players in the Browns’ wide receiver room, but past Amari Cooper, no one else has shown the ability to take over a game and step up to be the No. 2 weapon.
Renfrow made the Pro Bowl in 2021 but has been on a steep decline since, totaling just 585 yards and two touchdowns over the past two seasons. It’s not like the Raiders have had the best lineup of quarterbacks for him to catch passes from, but it’s understandable why he was left out of the initial free-agency splash.
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He’d be another receiver that the Browns would have to quickly figure out his fit long term on the team, but taking a flier on someone that emerged as a bonafide receiver after getting selected in the fifth round is worth a shot. As OTAs give way to training camp, the Browns are going to evaluate the back end of their receiving core, one that features young players like Cedric Tillman and David Bell.
Developing these mid-round receivers has been a consistent issue under general manager Andrew Berry, hence why Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore and Cooper are on the roster. It could make sense to fit Renfroe in as another flier guy that Cleveland could use in special packages to further diversify their new-look offense.
The Browns have been linked to Howard in the past before he went to Miami. Once again, the two sides find themselves in practices where one could use the services of the other. At 31, it made sense why the Dolphins cut ties with Howard, who was making around $10 million on a five-year contract. He’s ranked as high as 56th by fellow NFL players on the NFL’s “Top 100 Players of 2022” list and has hardly seen a dip in production since his last Pro Bowl year in 2020.
The Browns already had one of the best defenses in the NFL this past year and are bringing back the majority of their starters under the same defensive coordinator in Jim Schwartz. Even while he put up the highest completion percentage allowed of his career last year at 61.4%, Howard had 12 pass breakups in 13 games played for the Dolphins. If the Browns wanted to extend him a one-year contract to essentially rehab his reputation for one final big contract, it would likely benefit both the Browns and Howard.
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Behind Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II, Martin Emerson Jr. has emerged as a strong backup that can handle some of the best receivers in the game. Past that, Cleveland doesn’t have much to show for on the edges. He wouldn’t need to be a starter, but at 31 years old, he probably shouldn’t be. But the thought of giving him somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 million to be a veteran presence and a strong rotational piece for the Browns is intriguing.
This one might be a little harder to swing for the Browns, who are already in the process of trying to restructure contracts and avoid a serious salary crunch before they need to. It depends on if they want to pay a rotational defensive lineman piece around $7-8 million. The Browns drafted Michael Hall out of Ohio State in the second round to be the run-stopper of the future, but understand that Hall, 20, is going to need some time to mature into an NFL player.
Cleveland already has Shelby Harris, Maurice Hurst II and — most importantly — brought back Dalvin Tomlinson. The top trio was strong this past year but struggled at times early on to stop the run and saw nearly all their key contributors go down with injuries throughout the season. Campbell is another free agent who brings a strong veteran presence and can not only help on the field with the Browns’ run defense but can mentor players like Hall in the infancy stages of their professional careers.
Building a strong culture and maintaining it usually requires players like Campbell, someone who’s been in the league since 2008 and has seen about as much as you can throughout that long of a career. You wouldn’t be getting much in the way of sustained production from Campbell, who will turn 38 just before the start of the season, but a guy like that off the field is invaluable to the career trajectories of younger players in your organization.
