QB Ty Simpson Arranges Visits With Cardinals, Dolphins, Browns
Pre-draft visits continue to be arranged around the NFL. The quarterback position is, as always, one garnering plenty of attention with one of the top prospects on the radar of a number of teams. 
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report Ty Simpson has arranged a top 30 visit with each of the Cardinals, Dolphins and Browns. Today’s update comes not long after Simpson took part in a Jets workout. Further interest will no doubt continue to be shown as the countdown to the draft continues.
Arizona has been mentioned as a logical landing spot for Simpson. As such, it comes as no surprise the Cards are set to host him. The team’s post-Kyler Murray period will begin in 2026. Jacoby Brissett – who finished last year atop the depth chart – remains in the fold, and fellow veteran Gardner Minshew was added in free agency. Both can viewed as short-term options for new head coach Mike LaFleur and Co., though, and adding Simpson for the future could provide the Cardinals with a more permanent solution.
The Dolphins also elected to move on from their longtime QB1 this offseason, cutting Tua Tagovailoa. Malik Willis made the expected decision of following head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan from Green Bay to Miami once free agency began. The 26-year-old is in position to operate as the Dolphins’ starter for at least the next two years, although Sullivan has left the door open to a longer spell atop the depth chart. Miami does not have an immediate quarterback need through the draft, but Sullivan has mentioned his Packers background which values consistently adding rookie passers will likely carry over to the Dolphins.
The Browns have Deshaun Watson preparing to take part in training camp upon healing from two Achilles tears. The much-maligned veteran is in position to compete for the starting gig alongside 2025 draftees Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. GM Andrew Berry said yesterday another young passer could be brought in as well, pointing to potential a draft investment.
Fernando Mendoza remains on course to be selected first overall. Beyond that, the QB draft market has proven difficult to project. Simpson has drawn praise on a number of fronts, but the fact he only started one year in college has cast doubt on his NFL readiness. That will not stop teams from showing interest in this case, and the list of suitors which line up a visit will no doubt continue to grow.
Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam Addresses Deshaun Watson’s Starting Potential
The Deshaun Watson era has not gone according to plan in Cleveland, to say the very least. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has gone as far as publicly calling the Watson acquisition a “big swing-and-miss.” 
During his latest media appearance, however, Haslam struck a different tone regarding the team’s quarterback situation. Haslam spoke with reporters at the league meeting, leaving the door open to Watson returning to the QB1 gig for 2026. Having healed from two Achilles tears, the former Texans Pro Bowler is positioned to compete with Shedeur Sanders for the starting spot.
“Deshaun has a great chance, fresh start, offensive-minded coach, who has in his past been able to work with all kinds of different quarterbacks and make them successful,” Haslam said (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi). “So, Deshaun has a great chance to do that now. We talked to him the other day, he said he weighs the [least] he has in several years… Let’s see what Deshaun can do. We’re all excited.”
Earlier this month, the Browns continued their annual tradition of restructuring Watson’s fully guaranteed contract. The 30-year-old’s cap hit for this season was reduced once more as a result, but a dead money charge of $86.2MM looms. Cleveland is in position to make Watson a post-June 1 release next spring, spreading that money out across the 2027 and ’28 seasons. In the meantime, he will look to post a healthy campaign and at least provide some value to the Browns.
Due to injuries and the personal conduct suspension which began his Browns tenure, Watson has only played 19 games with his second career team. That figure could increase depending on how things play out in training camp. Sanders took over the QB1 role late in his rookie season, and he and fellow 2025 draftee Dillon Gabriel are on the roster at this point. Another passer could be added during April’s draft, something which could leave Cleveland with a logjam under center for the second summer in a row.
Across the board, Watson’s production in Cleveland has fallen well short of his peak years in Houston. The former first-rounder will not be expected to return to his previous form in 2026 provided he finds himself on the field, given his missed time and struggles to date as a member of the Browns. Nevertheless, the potential for a return to starting duties will be something to monitor through the summer.
AFC Contract Details: Titans, Hawkins, Ravens, Flacco, Bengals, Browns, Broncos, Colts, Patriots
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the AFC, with many coming out of Nashville:
- Daniel Bellinger, TE (Titans). Three years, $24MM. Bellinger secured $14MM guaranteed at signing, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. This covers $4.91MM of Bellinger’s $5.94MM 2027 base salary, per OverTheCap.
- Jaylinn Hawkins, S (Ravens). Two years, $10MM. Hawkins landed $5MM guaranteed at signing, per Wilson. None of Hawkins’ 2027 compensation is guaranteed.
- Jacob Martin, DE (Titans). Two years, $9MM. Tennessee authorized $4.5MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. None of Martin’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed.
- Jordan Elliott, DT (Titans). Two years, $8MM. The Titans authorized a $3.24MM guarantee at signing for the former Browns and 49ers D-tackle, Wilson tweets. None of Elliott’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed.
- Austin Schlottmann, OL (Titans). Two years, $7MM. The veteran interior offensive lineman received $2.99MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. None of Schlottmann’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed.
- Joshua Williams, CB (Titans). Two years, $6.75MM. Like Elliott, Wilson adds Williams secured $3.24MM guaranteed at signing. One of several Chiefs DBs relocating this month, Williams will not see any 2027 guarantees on this deal.
- Joe Flacco, QB (Bengals). One year, $6MM. Flacco’s contract contains $4MM guaranteed, SI.com’s Jay Morrison notes. Generally against void years, the Bengals included two in this contract. Flacco’s cap hit will check in at $3.3MM as a result. Due to the void years, Flacco not being re-signed before the 2027 league year begins will result in a $2.7MM dead money charge. There are $3.5MM in incentives here, Morrison adds. Among the bottom-tier bumps in play, Flacco would see $1MM if he plays 60% of Cincinnati’s offensive snaps in a playoff season. If the Bengals do not make the playoffs and the 19th-year QB plays 60% of the snaps, he would see $250K. More notably, any Bengals win in which Flacco plays at least 60% of the snaps will bring $125K; this incentive has an eight-game cap.
- Durham Smythe, TE (Ravens). One year, $3MM. The former Dolphins and Bears tight end secured $2MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets.
- Daniel Thomas, S (Browns). Two years, $3MM. Thomas landed just more than $1MM fully guaranteed, according to Wilson. No guarantees are in place for 2027.
- Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB (Colts). One year, $2.73MM. This contract includes $1.5MM fully guaranteed, Wilson adds.
- Mo Alie-Cox, TE (Colts). One year, $2.59MM. Like the Lions’ Malcolm Rodriguez deal, this contract is a four-year qualifying offer. It will come with $2.19MM fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. Because this is a four-year qualifying contract, Alie-Cox will count just $1.4MM toward the Colts’ cap.
- Tony Adams, S (Titans). One year, $2.14MM. Among the many former Robert Saleh-era Jets joining the Titans this offseason, Adams will see $1MM fully guaranteed on this deal (via Wilson).
- Kalia Davis, DT (Browns). One year, $2MM. The veteran interior D-lineman secured $1.75MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson.
- Corey Bojorquez, P (Browns). One year, $2MM. Bojorquez will see $938K guaranteed at signing on his third Browns contract, according to Wilson.
- Tycen Anderson, S (Broncos). One year, $1.5MM. The only outside Broncos free agent signing thus far, the veteran special-teamer received $650K guaranteed, 9News’ Mike Klis notes.
- James Hudson, T (Patriots). One year, $1.4MM. The Giants jettisoned Hudson’s two-year, $12MM deal months after benching him in Week 2. The New England swing tackle secured $538K guaranteed at signing, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss tweets.
Browns Not Planning To Trade Myles Garrett
MARCH 30: New Browns head coach Todd Monken echoed a similar sentiment when asked about Garrett’s status with the organization.
“I don’t see a time where I would not want Myles Garrett part of our team,” Monken said during an appearance on NFL Network (via Tom Pelissero). “I don’t — I can’t even envision that, where I would not want Myles Garrett to be a Cleveland Brown.”
MARCH 29: The Browns recently agreed to a revised contract with All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett, who saw his option bonus dates pushed back from the first week of the league year to the week before the regular season begins.
The adjustment makes it more financially feasible to trade Garrett. Any deal would have to take place after June 1 to allow Cleveland to push some of the resulting dead money into 2027. Previously, Garrett’s option would have triggered in March, adding another $31.5MM in prorated cap hits to the Browns’ ledger and increasing the dead cap charges over $70MM, per OverTheCap.
[RELATED: ‘Wholly Realistic’ Browns Add Young QB]
By pushing back the option bonus date, the Browns could execute a post-June 1 trade with Garrett’s new team taking on the payments (and cap hits). But general manager Andrew Berry is maintaining his long-held stance that the team would not be trading Garrett.
“If we wanted to trade Myles, we wouldn’t have needed to make a contract adjustment,” Berry said on Sunday (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi). “So it doesn’t have anything to do with that.”
Technically, Berry is correct. The Browns could have left Garrett’s contract as is and traded him after June 1, which would have left just over $21MM in dead money in 2026 with the other $59MM set to hit in 2027. They would see an increase in 2026 cap space with plenty of time to adjust other contracts and budget for the remaining dead money the following year.
But the new contract still makes those numbers significantly more favorable for Cleveland’s finances, which are already in a somewhat precarious state due to the Deshaun Watson deal, which will leave more than $130MM in dead money when it voids next year. Reducing the overall amount of potential dead money from a Garrett trade is certainly worth doing, if only for the flexibility. It is also worth noting that the option bonus payment dates were pushed back in each remaining year of Garrett’s contract, which essentially preserves this flexibility for the rest of the deal.
Garrett, though, has a no-trade clause. He was willing to make this alteration, which offers him some unknown benefits, likely relating to his payment schedule. His blessing would still be required for any sort of a trade, but this latest contract revision will ensure that such speculation will continue to be an annual affair.
Browns’ Deal For DE A.J. Epenesa Falls Through After Physical Concerns
The AFC North is becoming a tough division to get into. In the wake of the Ravens-Maxx Crosby reversed trade, the Browns have decided not to sign former Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa. The two sides came to a one-year, $5MM agreement about a week and a half ago. Per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, the team was not “comfortable finalizing the deal after his physical.” 
The news comes as a bit of a surprise as the six-year veteran has never missed more than three games in an NFL season. While he’s only appeared in every game of a season once, Epenesa’s absences each year have, for the most part, been limited to one or two games. No injury information accompanied today’s announcement, so any specifics will have to be disclosed in future reports.
Epenesa joined the Bills as a second-round pick in 2020. Coming out of Iowa, Epenesa brought experience in a role off the bench from his time as a sophomore Hawkeye, when he registered 10.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, four batted passes, and four forced fumbles without making a single start. After putting up similar numbers as a junior year starter, Epenesa declared for the NFL draft and found his way to Buffalo.
Over the course of his rookie contract, Epenesa’s experience contributing off the bench came in handy. Entrenched behind a starting lineup that, over the years, featured Mario Addison, Jerry Hughes, Greg Rousseau, Shaq Lawson, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd, and Joey Bosa, Epenesa only saw more than two starts in one of his six seasons in Buffalo. After a slow rookie year, Epenesa began to generate more pressures with his opportunities in Year 2. Over the final two years of his rookie contract, Epenesa logged 6.5 sacks each year despite only starting two of 30 game appearances.
Epenesa’s best season came two years ago, when he was tasked with a bigger role. Appearing in every game for the only time in his career and making 13 starts, Epenesa recorded six sacks and saw career highs in tackles (39), tackles for loss (8), and quarterback hits (11), tacking on a safety, as well, for good measure. The arrival of Bosa last year pushed Epenesa back to a rotation role, and he saw his lowest pass rushing production since his first two years in the league.
Without a deal with the Browns, Epenesa will head back to the open market where several teams are still looking for pass rush help. Any future deal will depend on him passing a physical, though, so it will be interesting to see if we get any more information on what concerns caused Cleveland to back out here.
Browns GM Andrew Berry: ‘Wholly Realistic’ To Add Young QB
Last year’s draft class was underwhelming at the quarterback position outside of No. 1 pick Cam Ward. As a result, the Browns opted to trade down from the No. 3 pick and select defensive tackle Mason Graham rather than the best quarterback available.
The deal with the Jaguars added another 2026 first-rounder to Cleveland’s cache of picks, suggesting that they were amassing capital to secure a quarterback from that class. But they also drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth, with both getting playing time as rookies. Neither emerged as a clear long-term starter, and Deshaun Watson does not fall into that category, either. None of the three have shown enough for the Browns to pass up on an elite quarterback in the draft.
But this year’s crop of prospects thinned significantly after a number of top college passers opted to stay in school for another year. That left Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza alone atop draft boards with Alabama’s Ty Simpson generally considered a distant QB2.
Despite calls from the Giants, the Titans were unwilling to move off Ward last year, and the Raiders likely have the same mindset with Mendoza, their widely-projected No. 1 pick. If the Browns wanted to draft Mendoza, they would likely have to trade their two first-round picks this year plus their first-rounders in 2027 and 2028 – and Las Vegas may not even accept that. (Notably, the Browns recently proposed a rule change that would allow teams to trade picks up to five years in the future. Currently, they are limited to three.)
But even with Mendoza off the table, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said on Sunday (via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) that it is “wholly realistic” to add another young quarterback to the team. He did not explicitly say that player would be a rookie, but outside of an Anthony Richardson trade, no other names fit his description. That has increased speculation that the Browns could target Simpson next month, especially given that the 23-year-old visited Cleveland at the beginning of the month.
“I have spent time with Ty,” Berry said. “I think that’s obvious and we’ll continue to do so. But I think he has a bright NFL future.”
Is it bright enough for the sixth overall pick? The current consensus is no, but the Browns have plenty of time to be convinced. They also hold the No. 24th selection and could hope that Simpson falls there, though they will run the obvious risk of quarterback-needy teams snapping him up first.
But Berry chooses his words carefully. Just because something is realistic does not mean that it is likely or a priority. The 2027 class is significantly stronger at the quarterback position, and waiting another year would also give new head coach Todd Monken a chance to see what he has in his current trio.
Browns’ Finalized 2026 Coaching Staff Updates
Earlier this month, the Browns announced their finalized coaching staff under new head coach Todd Monken. Many of the bigger coaching hirings and changes were covered in earlier posts as they occurred, but here is the new information gleaned from the team’s March announcement. 
The biggest piece of new information was that defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire has been retained in his role for his third year with the Browns and his seventh in the NFL. It comes with little surprise as he joins a crew of familiar faces also retained on the defensive side of the ball and returns to coach over two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. The only other new information regarding a position coach concerns new tight ends coach Jeff Blasko. We were aware that Blasko had been hired to the role, but the announcement revealed that he will also hold the title of run game coordinator.
Three assistant position coaches were announced as new information. John Wozniak was hired to serve as the Browns’ new assistant wide receivers coach. Coming into his first NFL coaching gig, Wozniak brings 25 years of experience at the collegiate level including position coaching roles at UAB, Southern Miss, and Oklahoma State. On defense, Ralph Street was announced as the new assistant defensive line coach. He’ll arrive in Cleveland after five years as defensive line coach and run game coordinator at Marshall, where Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green led the NCAA with 17.0 sacks in 2024.
Additionally, Keith Tandy was hired as assistant special teams coach. The former NFL safety joins the Browns after serving in the same role for the past six seasons in Tampa Bay. There was also an update that changes the reported role of a presumed position coach. Originally, it was believed that defensive quality control coach Jeff Anderson had been promoted to nickelbacks coach. The team’s announcement clarifies that, while he has been promoted, his new title is defensive assistant/nickelbacks.
Joining Anderson is Zach Dunn, who was announced as defensive assistant/assistant linebackers coach. Dunn has been with Cleveland as a defensive assistant since 2020, and after working with Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger last year, the assistant linebackers coach duties have been added to his plate. On the offensive side of the ball, it was initially reported that assistant offensive line coach Sanders Davis had been retained in his role. The new announcement informs that his title has been adjusted to offensive assistant/offensive line.
The last pieces of new information come in the smaller roles on the coaching staff. On offense, we knew that Ian Kolste was joining Monken in the move from Baltimore to Cleveland, but we didn’t yet know his title. We now know that Kolste will be an offensive quality control coach. Additionally, Dom Borsani has been named an offensive analyst. Borsani has spent three years with the Browns, previously serving as a research and coaching analyst. He’s joined in his new role by Travis Monken. Son of the new boss, the junior Monken has two years of experience as an offensive quality control coach at Purdue.
Likewise, on defense, former NFL linebacker Paul Worrilow has been named a defensive quality control coach. Following his eight-year career playing for the Falcons, Lions, Eagles, Ravens, and Jets, Worrilow has spent the past four years as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Delaware. Lastly, Shaq Wilson has been named a defensive analyst. After 10 years in minor roles at the college level, Wilson joined the Jets in 2023, working as a defensive assistant with the defensive line in his first year and with linebackers for the past two seasons.
These names put the final touches on the Monken’s first NFL staff in Cleveland. The staff will have its work cut out for it to climb out of the AFC North basement once again, but the group should get some time to figure things out as the team gets out from under some handicapping cap hits and uncertainty in the quarterbacks room.
Browns Modify Myles Garrett’s Contract
A slight change has been made to Myles Garrett‘s Browns contract. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has agreed to push back the payment dates on his option bonuses, ESPN’s Field Yates reports. 
Garrett was originally owed those payments on the 15th day of the league year each season from 2026-28. In the case of this year, that fell on Wednesday, with Yates noting this revision was finalized one day earlier. Now, Garrett is in line to collect the money one week before the start of the regular season in each year (bringing his contract in line with other Cleveland pacts in that respect).
[RELATED: Browns Propose Trading Picks Five Years Into Future]
As detailed by Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, this move will not yield any cap savings for the Browns unless the value of the option bonuses ($10MM in 2026, $13MM in 2027 and $7MM in 2028) have been changed. It would certainly come as a surprise if that were to be the case. Per Yates, the changes have nevertheless taken place in a way “that has benefit” to Garrett, who inked a four-year, $160MM extension last offseason. Yates adds that $8MM in base salary has been converted to roster bonuses for 2029 and ’30; they are scheduled to be paid out early in those league years.
Some observers have noted this tweak to Garrett’s deal would make a hypothetical trade more viable. Delaying option payments until just before the start of the season would indeed widen Cleveland’s window of opportunity to work out a trade with interested teams. The 30-year-old’s 2025 extension contains a no-trade clause, however, so he would need to approve of any potential swap. Garrett’s current focus will remain on helping lead the Browns to a rebound in 2026. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirms no thought is currently being given to a trade.
The five-time All-Pro broke the single-season sack record (23) in 2025, leading to his second career Defensive Player of the Year nod. Strong defensive showings will be expected once again for the Browns moving forward, and Garrett will of course be counted on the lead the way for years to come. In the event of continued struggles on the team’s part, though, trade speculation will no doubt pick up once more.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/26
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: TE Blake Whiteheart
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: LB Arron Mosby
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: DT Larrell Murchison
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Sam Roberts
The Browns brought back tight end Blake Whiteheart today. The Wake Forest product has spent the past two seasons in Cleveland, where he’s split his time between the offense and special teams. Relied on primarily for his blocking ability, Whiteheart has had limited looks in the receiving game, hauling in eight catches for 55 yards and one touchdown. He’s part of a TEs room in Cleveland that also features Harold Fannin and Jack Stoll, with David Njoku still unsigned.
The Rams are bringing back Larrell Murchison for another season. After not getting into a game during the 2024 campaign, the defensive lineman showed flashes in 2025. He ultimately got into 16 games with the Rams, compiling a pair of sacks despite being limited to only 126 defensive snaps.
Georgia LT Monroe Freeling Generating Considerable Buzz; Browns A Possible Landing Spot, Could Trade Down
Since left tackle is a premium position, the top collegiate LTs in a given class frequently hear their names called in the first hour of the NFL draft. This year should be no different, and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa and Utah’s Spencer Fano have long been viewed as possible top-10 selections in April’s event.
But as the aptly-named Austin Mock of The Athletic (subscription required) details, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling has forced his way into the conversation. Per Mock, Freeling was a standout in February’s scouting combine, whereas Fano’s measurements were somewhat disappointing. Plus, Mauigoa and Fano have been unable to separate from each other, giving Freeling a legitimate chance to be the first offensive tackle off the board.
Freeling worked as a backup during his first season in Athens in 2023, and he was only inserted into the starting lineup as an injury replacement towards the end of the 2024 slate. However, he was anointed the starting left tackle heading into 2025, and he made the most of his opportunity, securing Second Team All-SEC honors and helping the Bulldogs to an SEC championship and a place in the CFP quarterfinals.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein believes Freeling has ideal length and athleticism for a right tackle, though it presently appears as if teams think he will be able to stick on the left side at the professional level. His limited action as a full-time starter suggests he will have some technical issues to address, but his quickness, athletic upside, and the fact that he showed considerable improvement as the 2025 season went on are all reasons to believe he can reach his high ceiling.
The Browns profile as an obvious landing spot. In a recent mock draft published by The Athletic (subscription required), Browns beat Zac Jackson acknowledged the buzz growing around Freeling and opined that Cleveland will select the 6-7, 315-lb blocker with the No. 6 overall pick (Mauigoa was mocked to the Cardinals at No. 3, and Fano was mocked to the Dolphins at No. 11).
Since they employ both Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, the Browns’ quarterback situation consistently generates a great deal of attention. Regardless of whom Cleveland taps as its QB in 2026 and beyond, the team will need to improve that player’s protection, particularly on the blind side. A true franchise left tackle is not a guarantee for future success (see: Joe Thomas), but it is nonetheless a critical part of a quality roster.
In Jackson’s view, Freeling’s athletic traits are similar to those that GM Andrew Berry has sought out in prior drafts. That said, Jackson indicates Berry – who also holds the No. 24 overall pick from last year’s draft-day trade with the Jaguars – is open to trading down from No. 6.
Although the Browns boasted a strong defense in 2025, they were unable to get their offense on track and posted a disappointing 5-12 record. Berry has a lot of work to do to return Cleveland to playoff contention, and while his quarterback plan will of course be instrumental in achieving that goal, it also makes sense for him to add as much cost-controlled talent to the club as possible.
The Browns also have been heavily linked to this year’s best WR prospects. In a trade-down scenario, the team could acquire additional draft capital while still landing a tackle like Freeling or Fano as well as a receiver like Jordyn Tyson or Denzel Boston.