The Cleveland Browns have locked a number of key players over the last year. Since last offseason, the following have been added to the core of the team’s present and future:
- DE Myles Garrett – Extension
- OL Wyatt Teller – Extension
- OL Joel Bitonio – Extension (and underrated)
- RB Nick Chubb – Extension
- QB Deshaun Watson – New contract
- WR Amari Cooper – Traded for three years left on the contract, restructured
- CB Denzel Ward – Extension
- TE David Njoku – Franchise tagged then a new contract
The team also has a variety of players that they drafted, like Greg Newsome II and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, locked up under rookie contracts for a few more years.
With a lot of key players on big, long-term deals, Andrew Berry continues to have some difficult decisions to make with some of the other players on the team. Currently, according to Spotrac, Cleveland has 27 players scheduled for some version of free agency (ERFA, RFA, UFA) after the 2022 season.
As what happened with Ward, the summer before a player becomes a free agent can be the key time to get an extension worked out. With one more set of OTAs then mandatory minicamp before training camp later this summer, Berry could be looking to get more deals done.
Here are some of the expected starters or key contributors currently scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the 2023 offseason: