The Cleveland Browns are a step closer to being ready for the 2025 season after agreeing to terms with first-round pick Mason Graham. The defender signed a four-year deal worth $40.8 million. It is an impressive contract for a draft pick who is expected to have a huge impact playing alongside star Myles Garrett. Having the veteran and rookie defenders both locked into long-term deals gives an important piece of the roster the needed security.
It is yet another positive headline for a Cleveland team that appears to be embracing a rebuild. Focusing on finding its quarterback of the future and looking to bring in young talent is the exact type of reset the franchise has so badly needed. While there is still the looming problem of Deshaun Watson's contract, the team is focusing elsewhere as they wait for the problem to be possible to address.
Cleveland Browns First-Round Pick Mason Graham Signed His Rookie Deal
As exciting as Mason Graham is, fans still have concerns about the type of shape the defender might be in. The lineman made camp headlines when he got sick during practice, having to leave to clean up. This could be due to a million factors, but for a cursed organization, the simplest conclusion to jump to was that Graham wasn't ready for the rigors of practicing at the next level.
While this is a wild leap this early in the season, the story isn't nothing. It will give Cleveland fans another reason to keep a close eye on the team's first-round selection. There was already a level of frustration when the Browns traded down and didn't use their spot to add one of the top four prospects in this year's draft.
Regardless, the Browns now find Mason Graham as this offseason's prized addition and will look to build around Graham and Garrett. Cleveland has an uphill battle, stuck in a division with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, two 2024 playoff teams who believe they will rule the division once again.
If Cleveland is going to make a surprise run in the 2025 season, it is going to take the emergence of both Mason Graham and either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders. This is the team's only path back into relevance as the franchise continues to attempt a reset.