3 Browns Who Need a Contract Extension Before the Season

The Browns have been busy this offseason putting together a roster in hopes of making the playoffs this winter. While the majority of fans are only focused on the present with the preseason set to begin, others are concerned with Cleveland's future contract situation. 

After all, general manager Andrew Berry has done well at assembling one of the better Browns squads that the fanbase has seen. Keeping core pieces under contract is integral, especially if the franchise wants to finally shut its doubters up and win the Super Bowl. 

Several Cleveland players are worth extending, and it's in Berry's best interest to hammer out deals with them before the 2023 NFL season begins. Otherwise, future negotiations could be a needless disruption down the road. 

Here's a look at three Browns who are deserving of contract extensions before the new season begins. 

Next Browns Contract Extensions

1. Donovan Peoples-Jones

While Cleveland's wide receiver situation has been in flux in recent years, Donovan Peoples-Jones has been a consistent presence. 

The former 2020 sixth-round selection only improves as time goes on. His 2022 campaign was his best to date as he set career highs in targets (96), receptions (61) and receiving yards (839) while also finding the end zone three times. 

There's a good chance that Peoples-Jones will continue to excel in a full season alongside quarterback Deshaun Watson. After all, the talented wideout recorded 19 catches for 246 yards and 3 TDs in six games with Watson. For reference, that translates to a 54-697-9 stat line in a 17-game season. 

It's clear that Peoples-Jones is the perfect No. 2/3 WR for the Browns and letting him walk as a free agent in 2024 would set the team back. Berry extending the 24-year-old sooner rather than later would save the fan base a lot of stress.