Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

Browns To Sign DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

As the Browns came in with a market-resetting extension to end their Myles Garrett trade drama, they will take a flier on a former first-round pick. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is heading to Cleveland.

The former Buccaneers top choice will join the Browns on a one-year deal worth $4.75MM, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. While Tryon-Shoyinka did not live up to expectations in Tampa, he will have a shot to bounce back in an edge-rushing corps still headlined by a future Hall of Famer.

Chosen months after the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV win, Tryon-Shoyinka could not establish himself as a reliable Shaquil Barrett complementary piece. The Bucs eventually benched the Washington alum, who is coming off a down season. Tryon-Shoyinka, 26 in April, totaled career-low marks in sacks (two), tackles for loss (three) and QB hits (four) despite playing in 15 games. As YaYa Diaby has established himself as Tampa Bay’s current top edge rusher, the Bucs were not viewed as likely to re-sign Tryon-Shoyinka.

Although the Bucs declined Tryon-Shoyinka’s fifth-year option in 2024, he did have moments as a supporting-caster. He tallied five sacks and seven TFLs in 2023, even as Diaby replaced him in Tampa Bay’s starting lineup opposite Barrett. Succeeding Jason Pierre-Paul in 2022, Tryon-Shoyinka also set a career high with 14 QB hits — during a season that featured a Barrett Achilles tear.

Garrett is back to anchor Cleveland’s pass rush for a ninth season, but his supporting cast needs filling out. The Browns traded three-year DE2 Za’Darius Smith last season and saw Garrett rack up 14 sacks and no one else surpass five. Tryon-Shoyinka may not ultimately check in as a Browns starter, even though he has 45 starts on his resume, but he could still benefit from the dominant performer’s presence — as Smith and Jadeveon Clowney have previously. The Browns still have Ogbo Okoronkwo and Alex Wright under contract as well.

Browns To Sign T Cornelius Lucas

The Commanders made a play to add a more accomplished left tackle today, bringing in Laremy Tunsil via trade. One of their 2024 options at the position will now relocate.

Cornelius Lucas is heading to Cleveland, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reporting the 11-year veteran will join the Browns on a two-year deal. Lucas’ latest contract can be worth up to $10MM.

This will end a five-year Lucas stay in Washington. The Commanders used Lucas as a spot starter for much of that stay, but he ended up with 38 starts for the team. Going into his age-34 season, Lucas is preparing for a 12th NFL campaign. He is now set to play for a sixth franchise, having made pre-Washington stops with the Lions, Rams, Saints and Bears.

Lucas played 318 snaps at left tackle and 139 snaps at right tackle for the Commanders last season, helping a team that was breaking in third-round rookie Brandon Coleman. While Coleman manned Jayden Daniels‘ blindside post in the playoffs, Lucas started seven games last season. For his career, Lucas — a former UDFA — has 54.

The Browns have Jedrick Wills out of contract, after two injury-plagued seasons, and lost James Hudson to the Giants today. The team still rosters Jack Conklin, who is injury-prone himself and going into an age-31 season. While Joel Bitonio‘s return ensures interior-line continuity, the Browns still have some work to do at tackle. Pro Football Focus’ No. 28 overall tackle last season, Lucas could give the Browns a starter or swing option next season.

Eagles To Trade Kenny Pickett To Browns

7:09pm: This is not expected to be the only veteran move the Browns make at quarterback. The team is likely still in the market for a vet to join Pickett, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweets. This could drop Pickett to the third-string level quickly, depending on how the Browns proceed in the draft.

4:37pm: Kenny Pickett is headed back to the AFC North. The former Steelers first-rounder spent one season with the Eagles, but he is being traded once again.

Pickett is being dealt to the Browns, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The Eagles will receive fellow quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson as well as a 2025 fifth-round pick from Cleveland.

The Browns are in historically unprecedented shape at quarterback, having Deshaun Watson‘s guarantees still on the books through 2026. Watson has bombed spectacularly in Cleveland, and the Browns just completed another restructure — one that creates 2025 cap space but balloons his 2026 cap number to $81MM and his dead money number (in the event of a release) to $135.4MM. Cost conservation is more necessary for the Browns at QB.

This, of course, will be Pickett’s second time in two offseasons being dealt. The Browns are quite familiar with the 2022 first-round pick, as he was the Steelers’ primary starter for two seasons. The Steelers bailed on Pickett shortly between their Russell Wilson and Justin Fields pickups last year. Pittsburgh’s Pickett trade haul did include a third-round pick coming back, in a deal sending other selections back to Philly, but the Eagles are moving on ahead of the Pitt alum’s contract year.

Pickett, 27 in June, played in five Eagles games last season and started one. A rib issue sidelined the ex-Steeler, giving way to Tanner McKee, who appears set to have a shot to back up Jalen Hurts in 2025. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards in a loss to the Commanders, throwing a costly interception but also leading two fourth-quarter scoring drives. Starting for Hurts the following week, Pickett saw a previous rib issue become too much of a hindrance. He did not play again until mop-up time in the NFC championship and Super Bowl LIX.

With the Steelers, Pickett drew immediate scrutiny as an underwhelming Ben Roethlisberger successor. He managed only seven touchdown passes in 13 games as a rookie and threw just six in 12 sophomore-season contests. While Matt Canada’s offense drew criticism (ahead of an ultra-rare in-season Steelers coach dismissal), Pickett did not inspire confidence after some late-game success down the stretch as a rookie. The Steelers benched him for Mason Rudolph late in the 2023 season and were not exactly pleased with how he handled it. Pickett preferred a scenery change after the Wilson arrival, and the Steelers granted it early during the 2024 offseason.

The Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick and have been linked to quarterbacks, along with Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter (whom Cleveland deems a wide receiver). Pickett would not generate much optimism as the Browns’ bridge, making the prospect of another veteran addition logical before the draft decision. Thompson-Robinson holds a ghastly 1-10 TD-INT ratio, having struggled in five starts. The Browns gave the former UCLA starter a few chances but ultimately did not see much production. The Eagles will take a flier, likely as a third-string option, nonetheless.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Browns To Release DT Dalvin Tomlinson

After making Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL earlier this week, the Browns are making some concessions elsewhere along the defensive line. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Browns have informed veteran defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson that they will be releasing him at the start of the new league year.

Schefter specifies that Tomlinson will be designated as a post-June 1 release by the team for cap purposes. If they didn’t choose to designate him that way, Tomlinson would account for $17.15MM in dead cap for Cleveland, who wouldn’t accumulate any cap savings from the transaction. Instead, as a post-June 1 designated release, Tomlinson will only take up $5.04MM in dead cap, and the Browns will save $6.41MM in cap space by clearing him from the payroll.

Tomlinson has been a full-time starter in the NFL ever since the Vikings drafted him in the second round out of Alabama in 2017. While he doesn’t stuff the stat sheet with sacks (only 19.0 in his career), he’s been plenty disruptive throughout his career, racking up tackles for loss (36) and quarterback hits (67) aplenty. Tomlinson really hangs his hat on being one of the more well-rounded defensive tackles in the league, often seeing his run defense grades as high as his pass rush grades on Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Tomlinson had a decent year in 2024, grading out as the 32nd-best interior defender of 118 players graded by PFF. While that was certainly a strong bounce back from 2023, when he graded 57th (the worst of his career), it still hasn’t been up to par with every other season he’s played with the Giants and Vikings, when he would routinely rank in the top 20. Still, Tomlinson enters free agency as one of the top defensive tackle options available, especially with Milton Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, D.J. Jones, Poona Ford, Jarran Reed, and Tershawn Wharton coming off the board already.

As for the Browns, they’ll likely be looking to fill out their interior defensive line this offseason. Tomlinson will join Maurice Hurst on the free agent market, leaving Shelby Harris as the only returning starter. The team could see last year’s second-round rookie, Michael Hall, step into a bigger role in 2025, but after he only played eight games last season, nothing is certain.

Browns Extend DE Myles Garrett

Despite seemingly being at an impasse, the Browns and defensive star Myles Garrett have reportedly found their way back together. After trade demands rang loud not long ago, ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report that Garrett will now remain in Cleveland on an extension that will pay him $40MM per year with $123.5MM in guaranteed money. The four-year extension will keep the 29-year-old in Cleveland through the 2030 season and makes Garret the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the six years left on the contract have a total value of $204.8MM, including $100MM paid out in the first three years, $88.8MM fully guaranteed, and $122.8MM in total guarantees.

The biggest addition to the contract drawing attention from the league media: a no-trade clause. Garrett had two years remaining on his previous deal, but a lack of guaranteed money in those years was a major sticking point for the former Defensive Player of the Year.

A little over a month ago, Garrett sent NFL rumors flying in every direction by requesting a trade. Just over a week ago, Garrett seemingly closed the door on a return to Cleveland, with reports coming out that he was “not open” to an extension with the Browns. Even two days ago, we got reports that team owner Jimmy Haslam declined to even meet with Garrett. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Garrett had made it clear that it wasn’t about the money, that he was adamant about leaving Cleveland because of a lack of belief in the Browns’ direction. Clearly, offering Garrett $40MM per year was the correct direction.

ESPN’s John Keim adds that, when Garrett first made his trade demands, the rest of the league felt it was just about working leverage for the extension. Cleveland never seemed to have any desire to trade their star defensive end. Regardless, the offers came flying in from around the league, with many first-round picks being made available to the Browns. The Browns brass was reportedly “confident all along,” per Mike Jones of The Athletic, that they would work out an extension rather than trade Garrett. They were right.

Garrett’s big payday comes only three days after the Raiders made defensive end Maxx Crosby the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL with an average annual value of $35.5MM. Garrett’s mark blows that out of the water, but even that might not last long. Elite pass rusher paydays continue to be on the way with the likes of Trey Hendrickson, T.J. Watt, and Aidan Hutchinson all in or approaching a period in which extensions will be considered.

Specifically on the hotseat are the Cowboys and Bengals, both of whom have made recent claims that they are prepared to make a star player the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Cincinnati would be doing so for wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase at a position which set a high, new bar when Justin Jefferson set the mark with $35MM per year last year.

Dallas has now backed themselves into a corner for the third time in a row on paying a big player. Last year, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys waited too long to extend both quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. By the time they finally worked out terms, several other players at those positions had continually pushed up the market price, forcing Dallas to settle for even more in their deals with Prescott and Lamb. Similarly, the team’s insistence on waiting until the last second to extend a star player has seen the price they would need to pay to hold on to Micah Parsons rise significantly.

As for Garrett, the price is well-deserved. With four first-team All-Pro selections, two second-team All-Pro selections, and six Pro Bowl selections, Garrett is widely recognized as a top pass rusher in the game. In the last four seasons, he’s finished as the top pass rusher, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), three times, finishing second this year. He has the most sacks in the league over the last three years (44.0) and the second-most in the league since he was drafted in 2017 (102.5) behind only Watt (108.0). His 102.5 sacks are also a franchise high for the Browns.

Garrett will continue to be an anchor on the Browns defense. Rumors that he wanted to join a contender will fall by the wayside for now as he returns to a defense that finished 28th in points allowed and 13th in sacks. The offense may be headed in another direction, though, as the team seems ready to move on from their last huge contract, given to quarterback Deshaun Watson, perhaps in pursuit of a rookie option. Regardless, Garrett will continue to do his job and dominate.

Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam Declines Meeting With Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett‘s trade request came about in the wake of discussions over the Browns’ future. A renewed attempt to speak about the situation has led to the All-Pro meeting a roadblock.

Garrett recently requested to meet in person with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who declined to do so, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Haslam instead deferred to general manager Andrew Berry, with whom Garrett has spoken on several occasions. To no surprise, Pelissero’s report confirms both parties remain firm in their respective stances.

Garrett remains intent on engineering a change of scenery, as he is not interested in signing a Browns extension (something the team is prepared to authorize). Cleveland’s perspective, meanwhile, has not changed in the time since Garrett went public with his desire to be moved. Haslam, Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski have remained consistent in their bid to present a united front in not giving thought to a trade. That is clearly still the case given Haslam’s decision, although Pelissero notes Garrett is – at this point, at least – willing to miss games if it helps bring about a swap.

The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year played through a number of ailments this past season, appearing in all 17 games and recording 14 sacks. Garrett has earned a first-team All-Pro nod in four of the past five seasons, securing second-team honors in 2022. His decorated career has included a total of only three playoff games across two different years, however, and a path to immediate contention does not appear to be in place. Questions at the quarterback position in particular linger for the Browns.

As expected, the team has worked out another restructure of Deshaun Watson‘s contract. The controversial trade which brought him to Cleveland has not panned out, and the fully guaranteed nature of his pact has created financial issues for the Browns. A low-cost veteran addition could be in store soon as a result, and the No. 2 pick in April’s draft could bring about a new franchise signal-caller. In spite of the opportunities at the position, Garrett is eyeing a fresh start as prepares for his age-30 season.

Teams are reportedly prepared to offer packages including at least one first-round pick, and the Lions have been interested dating back to the 2024 trade deadline. In the event the Browns do begin contemplating a deal, the Eagles will be a team to watch closely. Cleveland did not speak with Garrett or his camp during the Combine, so it remains to be seen when any movement in this situation will take place. Given this latest development, both parties could continue waiting for a lengthy period as the EDGE market takes shape around them.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/7/25

More teams made tender/non-tender decisions on restricted and exclusive rights free agents today. Here are the latest updates:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

Carolina has tendered Mays with an original-round tender worth $3.26MM. A former sixth-round draft pick, the third-year center will be able field offers from the rest of the league. If an offer comes in, the Panthers would have the chance to match it or let the team sign Mays in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Mays started eight games in 11 appearances last year.

Houston flashed early, particularly when he tallied eight sacks in seven games (only two starts) for the Lions as a rookie. Since then, injuries and inconsistency have kept him from sticking in Detroit or Cleveland.

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

Browns Restructure Deshaun Watson’s Deal

As expected, the Browns have again adjusted Deshaun Watson‘s pact to create immediate cap room. ESPN’s Field Yates notes another restructure has taken place, freeing up nearly $36MM in cap space.

Given the fully guaranteed nature of Watson’s pact, a trade or release was never feasible for the Browns even in the wake of Watson’s struggles when healthy during his Cleveland tenure. The blockbuster trade acquisition saw his 2024 campaign end with an Achilles tear, and he has subsequently suffered a second tear which will sideline him for most (potentially all) of next year.

In December, team and player agreed to a reworked deal which added a pair of void years to the pact. None of Watson’s compensation was affected by the move, whereas today’s restructure will convert salary into a signing bonus to lower his 2025 cap charge. Watson was previously on track to count for $73MM against the cap this season, meaning such a maneuver was expected prior to the start of the new league year. Cleveland was among the teams over the cap entering Thursday, but once this move is processed the Browns will be in compliance.

Nevertheless, a cost-effective QB solution will be sought out this offseason with Watson still under contract for the next two years. Cleveland will only be able to afford a modest investment in free agency, and as a result Kirk Cousins has been mentioned as a logical target (provided he is released by the Falcons). The draft also looms as an avenue to finding a long-term Watson replacement, and the Browns could use the No. 2 pick to fill that need. Cam Ward is among the prospects who will conduct a top-30 visit, and he will be in Cleveland today.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson is attached to his rookie contract, but Jameis Winston is a pending free agent. In the event the latter were to depart, and if pending restricted free agent Bailey Zappe were to be non-tendered, the Browns could be in the market for multiple additions under center. The team now has financial clarity as it pertains to Watson as preparations at the position continue.

2025 NFL Top 50 Free Agents

After 2024 brought a record-setting salary cap spike, the 2025 league year introduced a jump that rivals it. We continue to see year-to-year leaps that dwarf what the 2011 CBA brought. Last year’s climb presented good news for many top-tier free agents; the batch that headlines this year’s market will be in line to follow suit. Now that the franchise tag deadline has passed, a clearer picture of the 2025 free agent market emerges.

The aim for PFR’s top 50 remains contract-based. Although players like Bobby Wagner and Tyron Smith are All-Decade-teamers bound for the Hall of Fame, they will not appear here. Big names are still part of this list. The wide receiver and cornerback markets are flooded with veterans seeking a second (or third) significant payday. As usual, this list centers around who will fare the best in terms of guaranteed money. Though, shorter-term contracts — in an effort to keep up with the cap surges — increasing in popularity has made gauging that component more complicated. With some help from trusted colleague Adam La Rose, here is our best effort at sorting through that.

Players who could be released at the start of the 2025 league year or soon after are not included, only those out of contract for the ’25 season appear below. Teams have until 11am CT March 10 to keep free agents-to-be off the market. In Year 33 of full-fledged NFL free agency, here are the top options for teams to target once the legal tampering period starts:

1. Sam Darnold, QB. Age in Week 1: 28

The quarterback tag has ballooned to $40.24MM, which proved to be too much for the Vikings to stomach. As Minnesota has a handful of starters nearing the market, circling back to Darnold at a (slightly) lower rate remains in play. But the Vikings will now run the risk of losing their 2024 J.J. McCarthy bridge, one that proved much sturdier than most expected.

For the second straight year, a Vikings quarterback headlines PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list. Kirk Cousins came through with a four-year, $180MM deal in 2024, doing so despite entering an age-36 season and coming off an Achilles tear. The Falcons had a decade’s worth of starter work to evaluate with Cousins, who did not live up to the investment – which included $90MM guaranteed at signing. Darnold has only delivered one quality season. Like Cousins, Darnold excelled under Kevin O’Connell and targeting Justin Jefferson in an offense also featuring Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Teams’ hesitancy about Darnold’s chances of replicating his Pro Bowl season without similar weaponry is warranted.

This complicates Darnold’s bounce-back case — as does Darnold’s brutal January two-fer — but several teams need QBs during a year where the draft does not look like it will produce surefire answers. Although rumblings about Darnold having a modest market have circulated, he is the top option available and should have a few teams showing clear interest. The Raiders and Giants have been tied to Darnold, ditto the Browns. The Steelers should be interested, but they appear to have their sights set on re-signing Justin Fields. The 2021 draftee also has not put together the kind of season Darnold just did. If the Jets did not have the history they do with Darnold, they would make sense as a destination as well.

Drawing a $4.5MM offer in 2023 (from the 49ers) and choosing the Vikings’ $10MM proposal last March, Darnold has made a remarkable rise to this place. While his surge can be compared to Baker Mayfield’s, Darnold’s 2018 draft classmate had shown extended flashes in Cleveland. Darnold washed out of New York and was not a priority in Carolina, with the Panthers instead making a monster trade to acquire a No. 1 overall pick that went to Bryce Young. Darnold bided his time and has received extensive tutelage in the Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay (via O’Connell) offenses.

Darnold’s 35 touchdown passes last season eclipsed his career high by 16; his 66.2% completion rate was more than four points better than his previous top number. Darnold’s previous best before his 4,319-yard season: 3,024 with the 2019 Jets. It is easy to see why skepticism exists, as a multiyear guarantee at a Mayfield-level rate (at least) will be required. Overpaying free agents is a tried-and-true NFL tradition, but someone will take a chance on Darnold being the answer. Mayfield received $50MM in total guarantees – on a three-year deal. Darnold could push to top that on a four-year pact, as the salary cap has spiked by another $24MM since the Mayfield-Buccaneers agreement. A Daniel Jones-like guarantee at signing ($81MM) is probably too high, but Derek Carr‘s $60MM number (ahead of an age-32 season) may not be.

The Vikings have Jones as a backup plan, a solution that would effectively make the ex-Giant the 2025 Darnold behind McCarthy. It would not make too much sense for Darnold, with his value where it now is, to accept a multiyear Vikings pact due to McCarthy’s presence. Similarly, re-signing Darnold would cut into Minnesota’s ability to capitalize on McCarthy’s rookie contract. A tag represented the most logical option to keep Darnold in the Twin Cities; that deadline passing opens the door to one of the more interesting QB free agencies in recent history.

The seven-year veteran, who has 56 pre-Minnesota starts teams can judge, will slide in as a player whom clubs can talk themselves into as having a Mayfield- and Geno Smith-like resurgence. Both QBs have sustained their belated breakouts, and that will help Darnold. Though, Smith and Mayfield did not relocate after breaking through. Darnold would be best positioned to sustain his by remaining a Viking, but McCarthy – whom the Vikings built their 2024 offseason around – has tremendous internal support. Bigger money should await elsewhere.

2. Josh Sweat, EDGE. Age in Week 1: 28

Fairly well regarded going into 2024, Sweat still needed to accept a pay cut to stay with the Eagles. As the team rearranged its defensive line after Fletcher Cox’s retirement, it opted to retain Sweat and swap out Haason Reddick for Bryce Huff. The latter’s $17MM-AAV contract is teetering on bust status, as he was a healthy scratch for Super Bowl LIX. Fortunately for the Eagles, they could rely on Sweat, who cemented his value with a dominant performance to expose All-Pro guard Joe Thuney as miscast at left tackle and remind suitors about a promising combination of production and prime years remaining.

Sweat showed the value agreeing to a three-year second contract can bring. That midrange 2021 extension (three years, $40MM) has Sweat set to play out the 2025 season at 28. He should be well positioned to cash in, with the 2.5-sack Super Bowl reminding of Shaq Barrett’s effort against Patrick Mahomes and Co. ahead of his free agency. Barrett, who was exiting his age-28 campaign when the Buccaneers barreled over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, signed a four-year deal worth $72MM. The cap has climbed by $97MM since.

Unlike Barrett, Sweat has no sack title on his resume. One double-digit sack season appears there; his 11-sack 2022 helped the Eagles threaten the 1984 Bears’ single-season record. Sweat leaving Philadelphia would stand to move all four of the double-digit sack performers from that ultra-productive season off the Eagles’ roster, with Brandon Graham expected to retire.

Sweat may become too expensive for an Eagles team, as creative as they are with contract structure, to afford. They are expected to lose their top EDGE. The Eagles have Nolan Smith in place as a starter and, theoretically, Huff at the other spot. Third-rounder Jalyx Hunt, who joined the Super Bowl sack brigade, is likely to see his role expand if Sweat departs (that is, if the Eagles cannot swing a Myles Garrett blockbuster).

After back-to-back seasons of 23 QB hits, Sweat only compiled 15 during his eight-sack 2024. That sack total still led the Eagles, whose defensive blueprint smothered the Commanders and Chiefs as the team peaked at the ideal point. Sweat’s 16 pressures still ranked only 92nd this past season, after his 37 in 2023 checked in 10th. The Super Bowl, however, probably put to rest any doubts about Sweat’s difference-making abilities, as the Chiefs had kept Mahomes cleaner for much of Thuney’s tackle stretch.

Jonathan Greenard fetched a four-year, $76MM deal from the Vikings last year. Greenard was two years younger than Sweat when he signed that contract. The cap having gone up coupled with the value Sweat showed post-Reddick gives him a good chance to eclipse that deal and move into the $20MM-plus-per-year bracket. Before this offseason’s EDGE payday frenzy takes place – as the likes of T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson are in contract years and Garrett is set to command a monster offer from the Browns (or another team) – Sweat will benefit from the cap spike with what should be a solid second-tier pact at the position.

3. Milton Williams, DT. Age in Week 1: 26

Like Sweat and Zack Baun, Williams picked a good time to break through. The 2021 third-round pick, who famously drew an on-air disagreement between Howie Roseman and veteran exec Tom Donahoe, helped the Eagles cover for Fletcher Cox’s retirement. Williams came in with career-high numbers in sacks (five) and QB hits (10) as a part-time starter last season. The Louisiana Tech product totaled 18 pressures as well, ranking sixth in DT pass rush win rate.

This emergence will set up the interior disruptor for a big payday. Williams adding three sacks between the NFC championship game and Super Bowl LIX, complete with the sack-strip-recovery sequence as the Eagles finished off their rout of the Chiefs, will help his cause. The Eagles have the futures of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter to address. Although Williams expressed an openness to staying in Philly, the team’s roster math points him out of town.

Interior defensive line-wise, this is not a deep group of free agents. Especially after the Cowboys took Osa Odighizuwa off the market via a four-year, $80MM deal. That will help Williams, even though he does not have a take-notice resume, stats-wise. PFF, however, rated him as the No. 1 overall pass rusher among interior D-linemen. Williams will be a player to watch for a sneaky-big contract agreement.

Ex-Williams teammate Javon Hargrave scored $21MM-per-year terms in 2023 and the market then exploded. The spring-summer wave of extensions that year (Daron Payne, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams) elevated the non-Aaron Donald market. Nnamdi Madubuike, Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins established a new top tier in 2024, one that starts at $48.5MM fully guaranteed. Williams now has a chance to test the new market as a free agent, doing so after the cap climbed by nearly $25MM from when the last round of deals came to pass.

4. Ronnie Stanley, LT. Age in Week 1: 31

Not ultimately rewarding the Ravens for their then-top-market extension in 2020, Stanley both hurt his third-contract value while attached to that accord and belatedly saved face with a 2024 rebound. The Ravens gave Stanley a significant pay cut, reducing his base salary by $7.5MM, last year. The former No. 6 overall pick responded by playing in a career-high 17 games and earning his second Pro Bowl nod. Last season will not be enough to completely erase the previous four – which injuries largely defined – but Stanley is a talented player at the O-line’s premier position.

Pass block win rate placed Stanley 12th among tackles last season, while PFF was a bit more skeptical, ranking the Notre Dame alum 37th at tackle for the third straight slate. Not quite delivering on the promise he showed before the career-reshaping ankle injury – one that led to three surgeries before the 2021 season began – Stanley suiting up for every game last season will prompt suitors to strongly consider a franchise LT-level deal. A market beginning at $21MM AAV has been floated. Though, his having missed 36 games from 2020-23 will probably reduce the guarantee ceiling.

Had Stanley not sustained that injury in Week 6 of the 2020 season, he almost definitely would not be hitting free agency now. As the Bills (Dion Dawkins), Broncos (Garett Bolles) and Lions (Taylor Decker) showed last year, teams have a habit of keeping quality LTs off the market on third contracts. Those deals came between $20MM and $20.5MM per year. As our Nikhil Mehta pointed out, that could establish a clear price range for Stanley.

Terron Armstead also carried a lengthy injury history into free agency in 2022; the Dolphins still rewarded him with $30.12MM guaranteed on a $15MM-per-year pact. The cap having spiked by more than $70MM since then should raise Stanley’s floor beyond this point.

The Ravens, who lost three O-line starters last year, want to keep him. Will they be able to? Compensatory picks have regularly dictated Baltimore’s free agency strategy, but letting Stanley walk would create a big need – in an offseason in which versatile blocker/former Stanley sub Patrick Mekari is also unattached.

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Browns To Meet With Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward

Like the Titans, the Browns are set for an early start on their “30” visits. Holding the No. 2 overall pick, the team will meet with the top prospects in this draft this week.

Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are in Berea, Ohio, today for their Browns visits, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. The trio dined with Browns brass Tuesday night, per ESPN’s Kimberley Martin. Cam Ward is also set to meet with the team, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes, with Breer adding it will commence Thursday.

[RELATED: Browns To Consider Trading Back From No. 2]

The Browns will gather important intel before free agency launches Monday. Cleveland joins Tennessee in seeing its previous quarterback plan fail to impress. While the Titans are not certain to demote Will Levis, the Browns will need a new starter after Deshaun Watson‘s second Achilles tear. Ward and Sanders would be expected to step in as such during the 2025 season or by Week 1, and the team will have access to at least one of them at No. 2 overall.

Next week will bring some clarity on the Browns’ QB plan. Ward has taken a lead on Sanders as the more likely player to be the first QB off the board, with The Athletic’s Zac Jackson indicating the Browns should only be eyeing the Miami prospect were they to use their top pick on a passer. Ward has been viewed as the higher-ceiling option compared to Sanders, whose floor may well check in higher. If the Browns were to pursue Ward, they may need to trade up to No. 1. The Titans are not committed to taking a quarterback, but other teams — such as the Giants and Raiders — have been tied to moving up. Rumblings about Tennessee trading the top pick continue to surface.

A recent report tied the Browns to Hunter, a two-way phenom who is in the unique position of not being locked in at a position. While the Titans view Hunter as a cornerback, Andrew Berry said the Browns have tabbed him as a wide receiver ahead of the draft. Hunter may earn the chance to be a two-way player at the pro level, though settling in as someone who commits to one spot and moonlights at the other — still a highly unusual NFL role — may be the more realistic path.

Carter is rehabbing a foot injury; as of now, the Penn State edge rusher is not expected to need surgery. The injury could still affect the former Big Ten standout’s draft stock. The Browns have thus far informed teams they are not considering a Myles Garrett trade. Carter would make for a flashy bookend and a player whose rookie contract would overlap with a monster third Garrett deal, though the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year is not currently interested in another Browns extension.