Grading all of Cleveland Browns signings through the first 2 days of the free agent period

The Cleveland Browns have made some big moves early in free agency.

The Cleveland Browns were able to clear some cap space for the team in 2023 by moving $30-odd million from Deshaun Watson’s 2023 salary to his ’24, ’25, and ’26 salaries. He’ll make $19 million this year, and then just shy of $64 million in each of the next three seasons. It’s a good move for 2023, but it gives the Browns a truncated window to win.

So that means that Andrew Berry has got to deliver in 2023 or there won’t be a 2024 for him to make things right during. The Browns GM is not in a good place. He’s drafted poorly, and hasn’t hit on any major free agents outside of maybe Jack Conklin. 2023 will, realistically, be his last shot to prove that he can create and manage a functioning and winning ball club.

He has got to find guys to fill key spots, who are still young enough to contribute over the length of their contract and all the while without blowing his cap space over the next few seasons.

So when we evaluate each of the four major signings so far, we’re at the team’s need, the player’s fit within that need, the player’s age, prior performance, and the contract. All of that will go into determining what letter grade we’d give that player just off of recent play and current team needs.

There is a good chance the player exceeds or fails to meet that letter grade as the season goes on, but for now, this is how we’re viewing each signing.