Which players are eligible to become free agents this summer in the Browns’ free agency preview?
On March 13, 25 players on Cleveland’s roster will be eligible for free agency.
As the league moves closer to the beginning of the new league year and free agency in March, the next stage of the offseason is drawing near. To strengthen their rosters for 2024, teams will try to sign new players or resign existing ones.
The new league year officially begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13, at which point 25 players on the Browns roster are scheduled to become free agents. Of those twenty-five players, twenty-four will be unrestricted free agents and one will have exclusive rights.
Let’s examine the players who are available to sign as free agents.
As the league moves closer to the beginning of the new league year and free agency in March, the next stage of the offseason is drawing near. To strengthen their rosters for 2024, teams will try to sign new players or resign existing ones.
The new league year officially begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13, at which point 25 players on the Browns roster are scheduled to become free agents. Of those twenty-five players, twenty-four will be unrestricted free agents and one will have exclusive rights.
Let’s examine the players who are available to sign as free agents.
No Limits on Free Agents
The 2023 contracts of unrestricted free agents will end at the start of the new league year. Their ability to sign is
Mike Ford Jr., CB.
With Ford’s one-year contract, the Browns added a vital gunner on special teams and a depth guy at cornerback while they managed injuries. Ford had 28 total tackles at the end of the season, one interception, two passes deflected, and one fumble recovery.
DE Za’Darius Smith
Smith was acquired by the Browns in May 2023, and during the season, he had a noticeable influence on the defensive line. During the regular season, he recorded 27 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 20 quarterback hits, and the second-highest number of sacks on the team (5.5).
Jordan Elliott, DT
Elliott was a vital component of the Browns’ interior defense in his fourth season there. During the regular season, he started 14 out of 17 games. He finished with 2.5 sacks, 21 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback hits, and 1 pass defensed.
Maurice Hurst II, DT
Hurst gave the Browns important defensive line depth when he signed with them for the 2023 campaign.Hurst suffered a pectoral injury in December, which sent him onto injured reserve, ending his season. With one interception, three passes defensed, 1.5 sacks, 22 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits at the end of the season, he appeared in 13 games.
Shelby Harris, DT
After playing for the Seahawks in 2022, Harris signed with the Browns in August and instantly improved the defensive line’s interior. During the regular season, Harris participated in 17 games, including seven starts, and finished with five passes defensed, one forced fumble, 1.5 sacks, 28 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and three interceptions.
with the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Harris was originally selected by the Browns; he spent his final season with Cleveland. He was JC Tretter’s backup for his first two seasons, and a knee injury kept him out of the 2022 campaign. This season, he made a comeback to the field, filling in for C Ethan Pocic. Harris also got experience at fullback when the Browns utilized an extra lineman on the field in certain scenarios. Throughout the regular season, Harris participated in all 17 games and made two starts.
Michael G. Dunn
After first signing with the Browns in 2020, Dunn re-signed for a fourth season in April. Dunn participated in 12 games in 2023, including two starts, and
Anthony Walker Jr., LB.
For the second consecutive year, Walker re-signed with the Browns to play his third season in Cleveland. He was also selected as one of the six team captains for the 2023 campaign. He was nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and was one of the team’s best defensive leaders. During the regular season, he started 12 games. However, near the end of the campaign, he suffered a knee injury, which forced him to be placed on injured reserve in January. Throughout the 2023 season, Walker racked up 44 tackles, one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and four passes defensed.
LB Jacob Phillips
Phillips, who is starting his fourth season with the Browns, suffered a torn pectoral injury in the
first-ever preseason encounter with the Commanders. After that, in August, he was put on injured reserve, which meant he missed the whole 2023 campaign. After being selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Phillips appeared in 20 games for the Browns. In his career, he has three sacks, five tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, and 88 tackles.
Jordan Kunaszyk, LB
