Should the Cleveland Browns Pursue These 2026 Free Agents?
With the legal tampering period set to kick off Monday afternoon, the Cleveland Browns have already been targeted as a potential landing spot for a handful of intriguing free agents. Cleveland struggled mightily in 2025, with a lack of passing offense and a patchwork offensive line preventing the Browns from winning more than five games. As the new league year begins on Wednesday, general manager Andrew Berry could feasibly propel his club from the bottom of the NFL’s barrel to a dark-horse AFC Wild Card contender if he addresses key issues on the offense. That may sound crazy, but this is a team that had the league’s fourth-best defense in terms of yards allowed, and was third in sacks with 53, largely due to the great Myles Garrett and his record-smashing season. The Browns also received a bit of good news and cap space, as Berry and quarterback Deshaun Watson reached a contract restructuring agreement that freed up $36 million that Cleveland can use towards signing some new pieces. Keeping that in mind, here are some interesting free agents that Berry and the Browns can think about this spring.
Mike Evans - Wide Receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It may seem far-fetched for the former Super Bowl champion wideout, Mike Evans, who is set to receive a bust in Canton when he retires, to leave his longtime home in Tampa Bay for a franchise like Cleveland. However, with the Browns tapping Todd Monken as their head coach in 2026, Evans already has a connection with the Browns. Monken served as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2016 to 2018, and under his coaching, Evans recorded three straight seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards and hauled in 25 total touchdowns. In 2025, Evans was unable to extend his NFL record of 11 consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 yards due to a broken collarbone suffered in Week Seven, which may turn teams away from signing him. The former Texas A&M Aggie is also turning 33 in August, which may hurt how much money he can command on the open market. However, the Browns are in no position to turn away any free agent weapon, and certainly one of Evans’ caliber. Cleveland’s wide receiver room is begging for new players, and a standout veteran like Evans could be a big boost for the Browns' two young quarterbacks, and a potential Comeback Player of the Year candidate playing for his old coach in Cleveland.
Geno Smith - Quarterback, Las Vegas Raiders
There’s no doubt that Geno Smith’s career can go through a second revitalization period, as we’ve already seen it before. Smith went from a draft bust with the New York Jets in the mid-2010’s to out of the league in 2019, to an NFL MVP candidate in 2022 with the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately for Smith, Seattle decided to go with Sam Darnold after a middling 2024 campaign, before the 12-year veteran crashed and burned with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. Smith was released last week, and the QB-needy Browns could be a new home. However, it just doesn’t make sense for the Browns to go after Smith. Cleveland is already struggling with deciding who the starting quarterback will be this upcoming season, and adding a shaky journeyman may not be the solution for the Browns. A quarterback with a decent track record like Smith’s may be out of the price range for Cleveland, as they desperately need to prioritize signing offensive linemen and weapons, and most likely would not have enough money left to give out to a 35-year old signal caller. Another team may be able to give Smith another chance at success, but it just doesn’t make sense for that team to be the Browns.
C.J. Garder-Johnson - Safety, Chicago Bears
The Browns recently placed a tender on their young safety Ronnie Hickman, so the position is not one of dire need. However, signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson would add both a veteran presence and a serious attitude to the Browns' defense. The 28-year old Gardner-Johnson has had an up-and-down career, finding himself on both playoff contenders and bottom dwellers. On a defense that already has both skill and swagger, Gardner-Johnson would make perfect sense with the Dawg Pound.
