It’s already known that the Cleveland Browns offense was atrocious this past season. From the quarterback play to the offensive line, the play was not good enough, and it was more of a liability than an actual asset to the team. As the NFL season ends and the offseason begins, the Browns will now look to retool the offense to help the defense. Many fans want Cleveland to retool the entire offense in the upcoming NFL Draft, as the Browns will have enough draft capital to fix the necessary holes. It might
be a good approach, but it’s flawed and not guaranteed to work.
Reminder, the 2026 NFL Draft isn’t until April, while NFL Free agency starts in early March. Between now and the draft, Cleveland GM Andrew Berry will have plenty of time to address the offense.
The Browns are likely going to clear up cap space, which allows them to pursue free agents this offseason. The approach towards team building should not be “draft or bust.” Instead, the approach has to be fluid. Look at the last two Super Bowl Champions. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks didn’t win a Super Bowl by just drafting great players; they did it by also signing key players in free agency. Whether it was the Eagles signing running back Saquon Barkley or the Seahawks signing quarterback Sam Darnold, those teams did more than just draft good players that turned out to be elite.
Berry hasn’t been afraid to spend money to improve the team, and the team isn’t afraid to be aggressive. In terms of free agency, this class should be better than last years and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Browns try to make a splash. Whether it’s trading for a wide receiver or signing one of the top offensive linemen on the market, there are ways to build the offense this offseason.
If the Browns are able to address half of their offensive needs in free agency, then their approach towards the draft will likely change. Could the team take a receiver with their 1st rounder? Or could they draft an offensive lineman? The team could do both, draft a receiver, then follow it up with an offensive lineman. They could double down on one of those positions even. With the later rounds, the team can go BPA (best player available) instead of filling in needs.
The Browns offense needs to be re-hauled, but the team doesn’t have to address those needs primarily in the draft to fix their offensive woes.
