Cleveland Browns

The $99.0M dead cap burden, third-worst in the league, is a near-term anchor, but $161.1M in projected next-year cap room ranked second in the league means the financial handcuffs come off soon.

22 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Four starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Eleven picks in the immediate draft, four first-rounders across the next three years, and 26 total selections in that window give Cleveland one of the richest rebuild arsenals in the league.

• Acquired: Round 4 from Giants, this draft
• Acquired: Round 3 from Rams, the third draft
• Acquired: Round 2 from Rams, next draft
• Acquired: Round 1 from Rams, this draft
• Acquired: Round 4 from Seahawks, this draft
• Acquired: Round 7 from Texans, this draft
• Acquired: Round 5 from Texans, this draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Rams, next draft
• Traded away: Round 6 to Texans, this draft

The roster's clearest strength is a deep, talented defensive secondary and pass-rush core led by Ward, Verse, and Graham, while the quarterback room, at a 70 overall starter ranking last in the league, is the most glaring weakness on the entire depth chart.

• LEDGEhigh

  Isaiah McGuire starts at LEDGE and ranks dead last among starters league-wide, making an upgrade at left defensive end the single most urgent priority.

• QBhigh

  Deshaun Watson starts at 70 overall and ranks last among starting quarterbacks, with Shedeur Sanders as the only developmental backup of note.

• WRhigh

  KC Concepcion Jr. starts as the top wideout but the unit ranks 30th in starter quality and 28th in depth, leaving the passing game dangerously thin.

• FSmedium

  Ronnie Hickman holds the starting free safety role but the position ranks 26th among starters, and a true upgrade here would solidify an otherwise strong secondary.

• HBmedium

  Quinshon Judkins leads the backfield and is a legitimate young piece, but the group ranks only 24th at starter level with modest depth behind him.

• DTlow

  Mason Graham is a Superstar dev talent at the position, but the group ranks 21st in starter quality and a rotational upgrade behind him would help the interior.

• LTlow

  Spencer Fano starts at left tackle at just 21 years old with Star dev, giving the team a promising long-term answer, though the unit still ranks 22nd overall.

• 62Blake WhiteheartTEBlake Whiteheart sits third on the tight end depth chart behind Harold Fannin Jr. and Joe Royer, contributes nothing at 62 overall, and his release frees $1.1M against zero dead money.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead

Cleveland arrives at a genuine crossroads. The defense has real building blocks: Denzel Ward remains an elite cornerback, Jared Verse is a rising Superstar pass rusher on the right edge, Carson Schwesinger and Mason Graham are young cornerstones with exceptional development traits, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah gives the linebacking corps a quality piece. The secondary is further shored up by Grant Delpit and Tyson Campbell. The offense is a far grimmer picture. Deshaun Watson is a last-ranked starter at quarterback, and his contract situation is the single largest drag on the franchise, with $99.0M in dead cap sitting at third-worst in the league. The wide receiver group is threadbare despite Jerry Jeudy's presence, and the left edge is the worst in football by starter rank. The good news is that next-year cap room is projected at $161.1M, ranking second in the league, which means the financial straitjacket loosens significantly in the near future. Harold Fannin Jr. at 22 and Quinshon Judkins give the offense genuine young contributors to build around. Elgton Jenkins anchors the center position but is entering the later stage of his career, so succession at that spot will matter by mid-plan. Spencer Fano at left tackle is only 21 with Star dev, giving the team a potential franchise cornerstone up front. With 11 picks in the upcoming draft, including four first-rounders across the next three years and 26 total picks in that window, Cleveland has the resources to accelerate a rebuild quickly if the front office is aggressive.

The Browns were founded in 1944 (organized in 1945) by taxicab magnate Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), beginning play in 1946 in Cleveland. Named after their first coach, the innovative Paul Brown, they were instantly dominant: quarterback Otto Graham, fullback Marion Motley, and tackle-kicker Lou Groza led Cleveland to all four AAFC championships (1946-1949), including a perfect 15-0 season in 1948. Paul Brown pioneered modern coaching methods and, by signing Motley and Bill Willis in 1946, helped reintegrate professional football a year before Jackie Robinson debuted in baseball. When the AAFC folded, the Browns joined the NFL in 1950 and immediately won the NFL Championship, reaching the title game in each of their first six NFL seasons (1950-1955) and winning in 1950, 1954, and 1955. In 1957 the Browns drafted Jim Brown, who led the NFL in rushing in eight of nine seasons and retired as the all-time rushing leader. Owner Art Modell bought the team in 1961 and controversially fired Paul Brown before 1963; under Blanton Collier, the Browns won their fourth and most recent NFL championship in 1964. After Jim Brown's 1966 retirement, the team declined but revived with the "Kardiac Kids" of 1979-80 behind MVP quarterback Brian Sipe and again with Bernie Kosar leading three AFC Championship Game appearances in the late 1980s. In 1995 Modell announced relocation to Baltimore; the settlement created the Baltimore Ravens as a new franchise in 1996 while the Browns' name, colors, and history stayed in Cleveland for a reactivated team that returned in 1999. Since then the franchise has been defined by instability and losing: just three playoff appearances (2002, 2020, 2023), one playoff win, a franchise-scarring 0-16 season in 2017, and a revolving door at quarterback.