It’s time to move on from the Cleveland Browns’ anccess, which was one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 NFL season. The Browns need to focus on improving before September of next year if they hope to make it past the Wild Card Round in the playoffs. The offseason has already begun.
General manager Andrew Berry is under pressure to manage the offseason well, starting with free agency in March. According to Spotrac, the Browns have 24 pending free agents. Although the fan base would prefer it if some players were on the team for a little while longer, they won’t be upset to see other players go.
The Browns need to re-sign these five pending free agents this offseason.
When the Browns acquired defensive end Za’Darius Smith from the Minnesota Vikings in May of last year for two fifth-round picks, and with two additional 2025 Day 3 draft selections, they completely revamped their defence. Given that Smith was a former second-team All-Pro defender and three-time Pro Bowler, it’s understandable why Cleveland supporters were thrilled with the transaction.
To put it mildly, Smith’s 2023 campaign was a mixed bag. While he completed 2022 with 44 tackles and 10.0 sacks, respectively, and they were his lowest totals since the 2018 season, his 27 tackles and 5.5 sacks left much to be desired.
However, Smith’s impact was still felt even though his numbers weren’t particularly impressive. The 31-year-old defensive playmaker nevertheless recorded 61 total pressures and played to a ridiculous 86.8 pass-rush grade, which is the second-best rating of his career, according to Pro Football Focus. In addition, he received an overall defensive grade of 83.1, placing him 16th out of 112 qualified players in terms of edge defence.
According to Spotrac, Smith’s estimated market worth is $12.5 million, which may be too much for a Browns team that is roughly $20.5 million above the salary cap. But if Smith is prepared to accept a team-friendly reduction and Berry can perform some magic to reduce cap space, it will be worthwhile to bring him back in 2024—even if it’s just for another season—to maintain the best defence.
