The Opening Drive 3/6: Identifying the Browns' Best Value Targets In Free Agency

The best fits for the Browns outside of the top-100 free agents.

Mar 06, 2026

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The Browns enter the 2026 offseason with a new head coach, Todd Monken, and three new coordinators. New coaches mean fresh eyes and alternative evaluations of the existing roster. The new staff has to evaluate what they have through the lens of their philosophies, schemes, and intended culture. Browns general manager Andrew Berry will be tasked with aligning his free-agent efforts with those of the new staff. The trade for veteran lineman Tytus Howard already signaled the beginning of their offseason and the first step toward rebuilding the offensive line and, hopefully, improving the offense. In this Browns free agency article, we are going to focus on players the Browns could be targeting who fall outside the league’s 100 free agents. Free agency is often best used to fill roster holes, create competition, and give the Browns flexibility in the draft.

Quarterback: A Familiar Face

If Cleveland looks outside the top tier of the quarterback market, then they are looking for a camp arm and veteran presence. If it’s not gonna be Malik Willis, Kyler Murray, or even my guy Marcus Mariota providing an immediate upgrade, then the Browns are more likely to see what they have in Shedeur Sanders. If they don’t draft a quarterback, they would look to add a Tyler Huntley or Tyrod Taylor as an additional camp arm and third quarterback in the mix. Monken, Sanders, and the Browns all have prior relationships with Huntley.

Wide Receiver: Affordable Depth with Reliable Production

Swinging big in the wide receiver free agent market is not an advisable practice. High-paid free agent wide receiver deals rarely work out for both parties involved. However, the Browns lack professional receivers on their roster, and some smart additions could raise the floor of the room significantly before the NFL Draft, which is where you try to land your high-end wide receivers.

Olamide Zaccheaus represents one such player. Zaccheaus has consistently shown the ability to run precise routes and find soft spots in zone coverage. Receivers with his profile often outperform modest contracts because they can play multiple roles within an offense while providing steady reliability when called upon. He could be added for a short-term deal, and he is a legitimate No. 3 wide receiver in the NFL at 28 years old. PFF projects his contract at $1.5 million, just above the veteran minimum.

If the Browns want to look for more of an upside signing. Jalen Nailor has been stuck behind Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson in Minnesota, but flashed when he got his opportunities. At 26 years old, he could be a nice addition to a room that needs receivers who catch the ball consistently and can be a part of this core moving forward. He finished with a 67.1 PFF grade and has 7.7% career drop rate, only letting one of his 49 targets get away in 2025. Nailor is projected to sign a one-year, $3.5 million deal by PFF.

We are now just four days away from the start of the NFL’s Free Agent Tampering Period which starts on Monday March 9th at Noon EST. I do genuinely love this time of year and the player movement that gets announced. It will always be a little strange that the league prefers to do free agency before the NFL Draft, which is the opposite of many other leagues, but it will never stop being an enjoyable time.

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