What's Left For Cleveland Browns After First Wave Of Free Agency Signings

The Browns made their first move of the NFL free agency period and there should be much more to come.

The NFL legal tampering period for negotiating with free agents began at 12:00pm Eastern this afternoon. As superstars like wide receiver Michael Pittman and edge rusher Maxx Crosby were traded into the AFC North, the pressure mounted for the Cleveland Browns to jump into the free agency frenzy. After the Browns restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's contract for a fourth time since signing the original deal in March 2022, they had a little more room to make moves in free agency.

Before free agency officially began at 4:00pm Eastern today, the Browns agreed to contract terms with former Los Angeles Chargers offensive guard Zion Johnson. The deal to acquire Johnson is worth three years and $49.5 million. Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, or maybe Dillion Gabriel will have more protection upfront. Johnson joins guard Joel Bitonio and newly acquired tackle Tytus Howard. The Browns may not have many questions answered about their quarterback position, but they know they'll have competent protection for whoever throws the ball for them this season.

After linebacker Devin Bush's departure to the Chicago Bears, there's still more for the Browns to address this free agency period.

Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Tytus Howard (71) reacts after a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Who is realistically available for the Browns to acquire?

The signing of Zion Johnson is going to bring down the number of available cap space Cleveland has left to work with. This doesn't mean Cleveland still can't effectively address other position groups. Browns General Manager Andrew Berry recently restructured a small portion of Denzel Ward's contract to open up an extra $2 million in cap space, which only brought down Ward's cap hit down to about $30 million.

Disruptive pass rushers like Trey Hendrickson and Devin Lloyd are available still, but those names are out of the Browns price range. Look for Cleveland to explore cheaper veteran options to replace Devin Bush and to add onto defensive rookie of the year Carson Schwesinger like Bobby Okereke, Logan Wilson, Bobby Wagner, or Kenneth Murray.

Myles Garrett's life can be even easier as a pass rusher in Cleveland if Berry acquires another monster edge rusher to limit the impact of double teams on Garrett. Expect the Browns to explore veteran signing possibilities like Haason Reddick, Leonard Floyd, or an older veteran pass rusher like Von Miller or Cameron Jordan.

Weapons and lockdowns

It seems more likely Cleveland acquires any defensive back help that they need through this upcoming NFL rookie draft. The Browns will likely spend at least one draft pick on a wide receiver. If either position group was going to be addressed in this free agency period, the receiver market is the one with more talent left in it.

Andrew Berry spoke at the NFL combine to discuss the approach Cleveland will take in this free agency window and how they will approach it in the future.

"It'll be targeted and opportunistic...I think realistically we may be one more offseason away from being like hyper-aggressive in that window. But if there's something that fits us, fits our roster, fits our timeline, then it's certainly a swing we'll take."
Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry

The #Browns are signing former #Chargers first-round G Zion Johnson to 3-year, $49.5M deal, per @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/CwVTPqVQFX
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 9, 2026

Look away from older receivers like Keenan Allen, Deebo Samuel, and Tyreek Hill and look more toward receivers like Romeo Doubs, Jalen Tolbert, Jauan Jennings, or Rashid Shaheed.

These are wide receivers within the ages of 25 and 29 who can be a part of the development of a quarterback. These are weapons who can develop chemistry with a quarterback for more than just one season. After a strong offensive line, a dynamic arsenal should be next on the agenda to maximize the potential of a quarterback, whether it's Sanders, Gabriel, or Watson.