The Browns are still in the mix at 5-4, but the next few months are going to force some hard truths. Cleveland has eight games left this season, a home date with the Texans before the bye, and plenty of time to keep chasing the postseason. Even so, the front office is already staring down a handful of roster calls that could shape the next season and beyond.
One of the biggest headaches is the Tytus Howard trade, which is starting to look like a miss. A complete overhaul of the offensive line was always going to take time, and rookies Fano and Austin Barber have had their rough patches.
Still, both have been solid additions overall, Zion Johnson is trending up, and Elgton Jenkins has been the best pass-blocker on the roster. Howard, though, has been a problem because of both penalties and performance.
His contract makes the situation even messier. Howard is signed through 2028, with cap hits of $10 million next year and almost $17 million the year after that.
Moving on from him won’t be simple because the deal also includes four void years. If Cleveland cuts him next offseason, the dead cap hit would be around $28.5 million for next year, and the team would also lose another $18.4 million in cap space.
A post-June 1st cut would change the math to a $17.2 million dead cap hit, plus $7.2 million in cap space lost for 2027 and an $11.2 million dead cap charge for 2028.
There are a few ways the Browns could handle the line. They could try a tackle swap, with Fano moving to the right side.
They could slide Howard inside to right guard and let Barber take over at right tackle. Dawand Jones is another option at right tackle, which would leave Howard as a pricey swing tackle.
Or Cleveland could simply keep Howard in place and hope the play improves. So far, though, he has not met expectations.
Jerry Jeudy is another name that belongs on the list. He has gone from WR1 to WR3 in a hurry, now sitting behind rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion.
He is on pace for 34 catches and fewer than 400 receiving yards, and he still has not scored a touchdown. For the Browns, that kind of production does not match the price tag.
If Cleveland does not trade Jeudy before the deadline, cutting him after the season would appear to be the most likely path. A straight release would bring a $25.4 million dead cap charge and another loss of roughly $12 million in cap space. A post-June designation would spread the pain differently, leaving the team with an $8.8 million cap hit in 2027, $4.6 million in cap savings, and a 2028 cap hit of $16.6 million.
The backfield presents its own question. The Browns like a lot of what they see from their No. 1 running back, but after a season and a half at just 3.5 yards per carry, they have to ask whether he is really a franchise back.
The rest of this season should give Dylan Sampson and/or Jaleel McLaughlin a chance to take on more work, and Sampson has already started cutting into Judkins’ snaps. If neither one proves ready and Judkins does not take a noticeable step forward, Cleveland will likely have to look for a running back in the draft, where finding a difference-maker does not always require a huge investment.
Then there is the quarterback mess, which still hangs over everything. Right now, Cleveland would prefer to split Deshaun Watson’s accelerated void year cap charge of $86 million between 2027 and 2028, with $34.7 million hitting the 2027 cap and $51.5 million waiting for 2028. That would require processing him as a post-June cut.
Once that is settled, the Browns would still need to decide what they have in Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, and whether either quarterback could generate trade interest. After that comes the biggest question of all: who will be the team’s next quarterback?
Cleveland could explore a trade, turn to free agency, or wait to see what emerges from a draft class that once looked promising at the position. All of that, of course, assumes the Browns do not extend Watson beyond this season in what would be the NFL’s worst example of the sunk cost fallacy ever.
In Other News...
Browns Trade Buzz Centers On Two Roster Holes They Can't Ignore
With the Browns looking for ways to sharpen the roster for a stronger finish, the trade conversation has started to circle around two spots that stand out on paper: defensive line depth and a second tight end. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Cleveland is weighing both areas, which makes sense for a team trying to stay flexible while also addressing obvious needs before the stretch run.
The tight end side of the discussion is especially interesting because Harold Fannin Jr. has given the Browns a young piece to build around, but the room could still use another proven option. On the other side of the ball, adding help up front would give Cleveland more insulation along the defensive line, and the names being floated, including Dallas Goedert and Daron Payne, show the kind of impact the Browns are at least exploring as the market develops. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Face One Trade Deadline Decision That Could Save The Offense
The Browns offense has spent too much of this season under siege, and the numbers around the front tell the story. Clevelands quarterbacks have already been sacked an NFL-high 38 times, a problem that has made every dropback feel like a survival drill and kept the offense from finding much rhythm. With the trade deadline approaching, the front office has a chance to attack the issue directly rather than simply hoping the line stabilizes on its own.
Landon Dickerson of the Eagles has emerged as one name worth watching if Cleveland decides to swing big for help up front, and the Browns do have draft capital to work with, including multiple picks in 2027. There is also growing speculation about whether the club could use players such as Shedeur Sanders, Jared Verse or Jerry Jeudy as part of the equation to address other needs, which only adds to the intrigue around how aggressive Cleveland wants to be. The deadline will show whether the Browns are content to ride out the pressure or willing to make a move that could change the shape of the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Wasted A Breakout Day From Their Young Playmakers
The Browns got a reminder in New Orleans that encouraging individual performances do not always add up to a win. Cleveland dropped a tight road game to the Saints, its second straight loss and fourth on the road this season, even as a wave of young pass catchers kept the offense afloat for long stretches.
Rookie wideouts Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion continued to build their case as two of the leagues most productive first-year receivers, while Harold Fannin Jr. also delivered a meaningful day in the passing game. The production from that trio offered a glimpse of what Clevelands offense could become, but it also left the Browns with the familiar frustration of having enough flashes to matter and not enough to finish the job. [Read more 🡒]