Cleveland Browns sign six players to future contracts to start offseason

The Cleveland Browns are not slowing down. Not by any means.

On Monday, Jan. 5, the Browns' front office kicked off the start of the team's 2026 offseason by firing six-year head coach Kevin Stefanski. Following up on that organization-altering decision, they doubled down on general manager Andrew Berry and committed to his involvement with the Browns for the foreseeable future.

Berry, who controls the roster and personnel decisions, worked to start preparing the roster for a spring of work. As Monday approached its conclusion, it was announced that the Browns signed six players to reserve/future contracts. Those players consist of tight ends Sal Cannella and Caden Prieskorn, wideout Luke Floriea, running back Ahmani Marshall and offensive linemen Jack Conley and Tyre Phillips.

Each will bring a bit more depth to the roster as they prepare for a roster shakeup within the looming free agency window.

The Browns signed the following players to reserve/futures contracts:

TE Sal Cannella
G Jack Conley
WR Luke Floriea
RB Ahmani Marshall
T Tyre Phillips
TE Caden Prieskorn
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) January 5, 2026

Browns sign six players to futures contracts

Of the new signees, the ones that present the most interesting situations for the Browns moving forward are Floriea, Conley and Phillips. All three will look to improve or fill holes for three position groups that struggled throughout the 2025 season.

In the wide receiver room, Floriea will compete for a spot anywhere from WR3 through WR6, giving him a more reserve role within the organization. It seems that the No. 1 and No. 2 spots will be controlled by two of either Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Isaiah Bond or a drafted wide receiver, leaving room for Floriea to make his mark in limited opportunities.

In the 2025 season, Floriea spent much of his time as a member of the practice squad, but in training camp and preseason, he actually made a few nice plays for the Browns. He hauled in one catch for 30 yards in Week One against the Carolina Panthers.

The issue for him, though, came in the form of an injury, which led to a small sample size for Cleveland's front office to decide his future. With more time this season, he should have a good chance to get a full-time roster spot.

When it comes to the offensive line, that's an area of the Browns that needs the most work.

In 2025, they were the second-worst group in the league by PFF grades. While they did have to deal with three different quarterbacks, including two rookies going through growing pains, they were never reliable enough to provide consistent protection.

Both Conley and Phillips will be competing for starting spots on the roster. This offseason, the Browns are set to lose four players to free agency who started in games this past season: guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, center Ethan Piocic and tackle Cam Robinson.

In all likelihood, they'll probably end up being depth pieces like Floriea, but the window of opportunity is certainly open.

Over the next few months, Berry will probably sign other depth pieces to the roster as they look to polish up the rookies and find reliable backups for an organization that always seems to find its way into injury trouble.