{"id":536755,"date":"2026-03-14T22:27:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T22:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/536755\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T22:27:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T22:27:09","slug":"grade-for-browns-offseason-moves-after-first-wave-of-nfl-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/536755\/","title":{"rendered":"Grade for Browns offseason moves after first wave of NFL free agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first wave of NFL free agency is in the books, and GM Andrew Berry has been busy rebuilding the Cleveland Browns<\/a> from the trenches out. With the offensive line seeing the majority of the attention, Jimmy Haslam\u2019s check book has been busy.<\/p>\n

Here are my rapid-fire grades of the newest Browns:<\/p>\n

More:\u00a0‘Take us both!’: Ty Simpson urges Browns to draft him and Carnell Tate in bold pitch to Kay Adams<\/a><\/p>\n

The New Additions<\/p>\n

At 3 years and $49.5-million, the Browns paid a premium for a former first-rounder. He\u2019s a mauler in the run game, which is perfect for Quinshon Judkins, but his pass protection needs to stay consistent to justify the $32.4-million guaranteed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Snagging a two-time Pro Bowler for $12-million a year is a steal\u2014if he stays healthy. His versatility to play all five spots is the ultimate insurance policy for a unit that was decimated by injuries last season. He\u2019s better at left guard than center (where he played last season).<\/p>\n

Acquired for just a 5th-round pick, Howard is a massive upgrade at right tackle over the rarely available Jack Conklin. The 3-year, $63-million extension is hefty, but finding a plug-and-play starter for mid-round draft capital is great business.<\/p>\n

Quincy Williams (LB): B-\u00a0<\/p>\n

Replacing Devin Bush with an All-Pro caliber speedster is a win. He\u2019s a tackling machine (100+ tackles four years straight), but is coming off of his worst statistical year since 2020. Turning 30, he’s reunited with former Jets<\/a> linebackers coach, now DC, Mike Rutenberg who could get him back to playing at a high level next to Carson Schwesinger.<\/p>\n

These are purely depth moves. Davis provides a body for the rotation, and Stoll is a blocking specialist, but neither moves the needle for a team needing high-end playmakers.<\/p>\n

Final Offseason Grade: C+<\/p>\n

The Verdict:\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the Browns successfully rebuilt most of the offensive line, left tackle remains a giant question mark. The future of Joel Bitonio is still unknown, and none of the new signings look to be an upgrade on the departed Wyatt Teller.<\/p>\n

Not acquiring a wide receiver also tips their hand in April\u2019s NFL Draft as LT and a stud wideout are still Cleveland\u2019s too most pressing needs. Overall, a slightly above average job by Berry through the opening phase of the new league year.<\/p>\n

More Browns News:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first wave of NFL free agency is in the books, and GM Andrew Berry has been busy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536756,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[49,48,514,82],"class_list":["post-536755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}