What the Browns’ Latest Draft Visits Reveal About Their QB Plans

The timing of the recent Browns top 30 NFL Draft visits should be observed closely.

On Wednesday, the Browns met with Arizona State standout wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. On Thursday, the Browns met with Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate.

Of course the Browns are meeting with these types of players, right? They have no concrete plan at quarterback and have one of the least talented receiver rooms in the league.

The timing of these meetings are significant because the NFL’s free agency legal tampering period opens on Monday. Browns general manager Andrew Berry said at the NFL Combine that the Browns are going to be more aggressive in free agency this offseason, but it won’t be until 2027 until they’re able to be “hyper aggressive” in that window.

Even NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero noted that the Browns are “getting a jump start on ‘30’ visits ahead of free agency.”

Cleveland, which is getting a jump start on "30" visits ahead of free agency, is also hosting former Ohio State WR Carnell Tate. https://t.co/Ag8tbeuJcu
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 5, 2026

It’s unfair to suggest that Berry was lying during his remarks about free agency at the NFL Combine. But could he have been sandbagging everybody?

After firing Kevin Stefanski following his sixth season with the team, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stated that the roster was too talented to have only won eight games over their previous two seasons. That statement puts inherent pressure on new Browns head coach Todd Monken and Berry to work in tandem to fix this thing right away.

And Berry’s first move upon departing Indianapolis matched that, when the Browns traded a fifth-round pick to the Houston Texans for Tytus Howard, a 29-year-old starting right tackle who was extended on a three-year deal worth over $60 million. That… doesn’t necessarily feel like a rebuilding move.

So, what about the quarterback plans?

The organization’s desire to get this fixed quickly is what makes Simpson’s visit on Thursday interesting. They’re obviously incentivized to get this team turned around quickly. Upgrades at the quarterback position could be available to the Browns in free agency, as Malik Willis is in line for a massive paycheck and Kyler Murray is going to be released from the Arizona Cardinals.

But it's likely that the Browns want to gather all of the information imaginable on Simpson before they make a decision on a potential veteran quarterback addition. If Simpson is their pick, the Browns won’t aggressively pursue Willis, Murray or trade for Anthony Richardson.

Then, the Browns might land a predominant free agent like left tackle Rasheed Walker or center Tyler Linderbaum if they know that their franchise quarterback will be on a rookie deal. But if the Browns chase Willis, Murray, or a trade for a different quarterback, it’ll be a bit clearer that Simpson might not be in the picture for Cleveland on draft night.

By visiting with Tyson and Tate as well, the Browns could be able to entice a potential free agent veteran quarterback with a premium rookie wide receiver.

While the team publicly claims they’re excited about a Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson quarterback competition, their actions could tell a completely different story.

When asked about timelines for determining the team’s starting quarterback, new Browns offensive coordinator Travis Switzer echoed what Monken told reporters at the combine.

“Those things tend to work themselves out as far as who that’s going to be,” Switzer said. “That’s why, like I said, it’s an open competition and the decision of when that will be? We don’t know.”

Maybe they truly don’t know at this current moment.

But it might not be Watson or Sanders in the fashion that’s being led on. After all, how would things tend to work themselves out the easiest? If the keys to the position were to be given to Murray, Willis or Simpson before training camp even starts.