The NFL offseason is fully underway, and it won't be much longer before free agency begins. The league's legal tampering period opens on Monday before free agency officially begins two days later, leaving time to tell how Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry will upgrade the roster.
The Browns must wait just over a week to potentially add outside talent, but that doesn't mean they can't work on retaining some of their own players. In fact, GM Berry just retained a pair of young players just days before free agency.
Browns Tender ERFAs Winston Reid & Blake Whiteheart Before Free Agency
ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi is reporting that the Browns have tendered qualifying offers for exclusive rights free agents Winston Reid and Blake Whiteheart. The ERFA are now limited to exclusively negotiating with Cleveland and can only be signed to league minimum contracts.
The Browns have tendered exclusive rights free agents LB Winston Reid and TE Blake Whiteheart.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) March 4, 2025
The two are now only eligible to sign with the Browns for the league minimum.
It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for Reid and Whiteheart this offseason. With the Browns' rebuild continuing, there should be plenty of opportunities for the pair to force themselves into head coach Kevin Stefanski's plans.
Reid is a 25-year-old linebacker who joined the Browns as an undrafted rookie last offseason. The former Weber State defender ended up becoming a frequent contributor on defense and special teams, tallying 15 solo tackles, two defended passes, a fumble recovery, and half a sack in 16 appearances (3 starts).
Even though there's plenty of room for improvement, Reid's 60.3 pass rush and 61.7 coverage grades on Pro Football Focus suggest that he could be ready for an expanded role in 2025.
Meanwhile, Whiteheart has been with the Browns since he was signed to the practice squad last August. The 6-foot-4, 247-pound tight end went on to make 11 appearances for Cleveland, often used as a blocker while also hauling in 6-of-9 (66.7%) of targets for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Both Reid and Whiteheart will be 25 years old once training camp begins, meaning there's plenty of room for the duo to grow. If they can successfully earn 53-man roster jobs by properly showcasing their upside this offseason, the Browns will be better because of it.