The Cleveland Browns are entering an important offseason – especially in the case of head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry.
The Browns are coming off a 3-14 season, and the losing has already had major consequences. Star edge rusher Myles Garrett requested a trade during Super Bowl week, and the Browns reluctantly agreed to restructure Deshaun Watson’s contract to create cap space after the embattled quarterback tore his Achilles tendon for the second time since last October.
With the possibility of selecting another franchise quarterback in this year’s draft, the Browns haven’t been boring, even if they haven’t been successful. But with Berry and Stefanski potentially working for their jobs, it could lead to a flurry of activity that could also put some players on thin ice heading into the 2025 free-agent period.
1. Ogbo Okoronkwo, Edge Rusher
The Browns’ discussion around edge rushers will revolve around Garrett until that issue is resolved or Jimmy Haslam actually sits down with him to talk things through. While a quick resolution would be ideal, Garrett will continue to loom over the position until he either returns to Cleveland or is traded somewhere else, creating a need to find players that can rush the passer.
The good news is that they have one answer in Isaiah McGuire. The fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft had a strong year with an 83.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus that ranked him 13th among 119 qualifying edge rushers last season. While McGuire is a good start, the Browns have to fill the massive void that Garrett would leave behind, putting the spotlight on Ogbo Okoronkwo.
Okoronkwo arrived as an unrestricted free agent from the Houston Texans and received a three-year, $19 million contract to become a depth piece. The price coming off a career-high five sacks with the Texans in 2022 but hasn’t paid off in Cleveland with 7.5 sacks over the first two seasons of the deal.
Coming up short of expectations is one thing. But being one of the worst edge rushers in football is another. Okoronkwo finished with a 45.3 overall grade from PFF, which ranked him 116th out of qualifying edge rushers. He also had just 24 pressures on 275 pass-rushing snaps (8.7% pressure rate), and his 8.4% win rate was the lowest on the team for anyone with a minimum of 100 pass-rushing snaps.
Like most players on thin ice this time of year, Okornkwo’s contract comes into play. The Oklahoma product is set to count $5.2 million against the salary cap, but the Browns would eat $6.7 million in dead money and a $1.4 million cap penalty if they release him before June 1. The Browns could save $3.3 million as a post-June 1 cut, however, which essentially seals his fate.
Cleveland won’t have a difficult time replacing him in free agency, but it could be an even bigger task if Garrett eventually leaves. Whoever is playing on the edge, the Browns would be best suited if it wasn’t Okoronkwo, opening the door for an addition in free agency or the draft.