Andrew Berry spent more guaranteed money on veteran players than any of his division rivals. But did he close the gap on them? (TheLandOnDemand)
Once again, Browns outspend their rivals in free agency. Will it make a difference this time?
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Which team in the AFC North showed the most urgency in free agency?
Hands down it was the Browns.
The Browns signed, re-signed and traded for 16 veteran players – the most in the division.
The Steelers are next with 11 signings, which was unusually high for them and reflective of a change in general managers from Kevin Colbert to Omar Kahn.
The Bengals signed 10 players and the Ravens seven. The Ravens’ total includes the non-exclusive franchise tag given to quarterback Lamar Jackson. Even though he hasn’t signed it, the $32.4 tag counts on their salary cap.
The figures that are more indicative of commitment and urgency is guaranteed money given in new contracts. Again, the Browns were a distant first among their rivals.
The Browns doled out $60.4395 million in guarantees in new contracts. (That’s much lower than their 2022 figure because of the $230 million in guarantees given to quarterback Deshaun Watson.)
The Bengals paid out $43.975 million. The Ravens are at $39.34, but that figure includes the $32.4 million franchise tag reserved for Jackson. Otherwise, the Ravens have spent only $6.94 in guarantees this year.
The Steelers gave out $37.855 million in guarantees.
(All guarantee tabulations are based on contracts reported by overthecap.com and spotrac.com.)
The spending season isn’t over, of course. There could be a few nominal additions here and there. The Bengals’ guaranteed spending will increase significantly if they arrive at long-term deals for quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
Have the last-place Browns closed the gap on their rivals as a result of another aggressive offseason? Who knows?
Here’s a recap of the player moves made by every AFC North team so far through the 2023 transaction season.
Cleveland Browns
Gains: Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, free safety Juan Thornhill, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, defensive tackle Trysten Hill, tight end Jordan Akins, cornerback Michael Ford, linebacker Matthew Adams, wide receiver Elijah Moore, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, offensive lineman Wes Martin.
Losses: Quarterback Jacoby Brissett (Commanders), offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt (Cardinals), defensive end Chase Winovich (Texans), cornerback Greedy Williams (Eagles), defensive tackle Taven Bryan (Colts), running back D’Ernest Johnson (Jaguars), linebacker Tae Davis (Falcons), free safety John Johnson, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
Re-signed: Center Ethan Pocic, quarterback Josh Dobbs, linebacker Sione Takitaki, linebacker Anthony Walker, linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk.
Summary: Eleven veteran additions mark a personal high for Andrew Berry in his four years as GM. While it started slowly – the defensive line additions were underwhelming – Berry was able to fill holes in all three team phases and finished with a flourish by acquiring two speedy receivers.
Unfinished business: Veteran needs include a third safety and additional rotational pieces at defensive tackle and end. Those would set up Berry to use his earliest draft picks in the third round on best players available and roll some of his remaining five picks into 2024. Their salary cap space of $7.76 million leaves them room for a few more veteran additions. They will receive a boost in cap space of about $10 million in June due to the releases of Johnson and Clowney.
Baltimore Ravens
Gains: Wide receiver Nelson Agholor
Losses: Guard Ben Powers (Broncos), tight end Josh Oliver (Vikings), defensive tackle Calais Campbell (Falcons), center Trystan Colon-Castillo (Jets).
Re-signed: Running back Justice Hill, safety Geno Stone, cornerback Trayvon Mullen, linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips, long snapper Nick Moore.
Summary: They have been paralyzed to improve the team by the inability to reach a long-term deal with Lamar Jackson and reduce the quarterback’s $32.4 million cap number.
Unfinished business: Their cap space ranks 23rd at $6.13 million – lowest in the division.They still need reinforcements at offensive line, defensive line and defensive secondary. Plus, they’ll have to find a better veteran quarterback option than Tyler Huntley if the impasse with Jackson extends into the OTA season. Adding to their woes, the Ravens own only five draft picks after trading second- and third-round picks last season to the Bears for linebacker Roquan Smith.
Cincinnati Bengals
Gains: Offensive tackle Orlando Brown, safety Nick Scott, cornerback Sidney Jones, guard Cody Ford, tight end Irv Smith.
Losses: Free safety Jessie Bates (Falcons), strong safety Vonn Bell (Panthers), tight end Hayden Hurst (Panthers), running back Samaje Perine (Broncos).
Re-signed: Linebacker Germaine Pratt, guard Max Sharping, wide receiver Trent Taylor, running back Trayveon Williams, free safety Michael Thomas.
Summary: For the second year in a row, the Bengals sought to fortify quarterback Joe Burrow’s offensive line with two acquisitions. The signing of Brown, perhaps the best offensive tackle in free agency, resulted in erstwhile starting left tackle Jonah Williams requesting a trade. The Bengals may listen to offers but are not pressed to trade Williams. Losing both starting safeties hurt, but the Bengals have a ready replacement for one spot in 2022 first-round pick Dax Hill.
Unfinished business: The main work left for the Bengals is signing Burrow and his receivers to long-term deals. The Bengals learned from the Ravens not to let Burrow’s second contract wait too long. The Bengals and Burrow have begun talks, and the feeling is while Burrow may set a record for total contract value for a quarterback, he is not expected to demand a fully-guaranteed contract. Burrow has expressed the desire to keep receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd together. The Bengals have a division-high $16.992 million in available cap space and own all their draft picks in the seven rounds.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Gains: Guard Isaac Seumalo, linebacker Cole Holcomb, cornerback Patrick Peterson, guard Nate Herbig, linebacker Elandon Roberts, offensive tackle Le’Raven Clark, defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko.
Losses: Cornerback Cam Sutton (Lions), linebacker Robert Spillane (Raiders), linebacker Devin Bush (Seahawks), guard Trenton Scott (Commanders), safety Terrell Edmunds (Eagles), wide receiver Steven Sims (Texans), linebacker Malik Reed (Dolphins), linebacker Myles Jack.
Re-signed: Defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi, safety Damontae Kazee, cornerback James Pierre, tight end Zach Gentry.
Summary: The Steelers were unusually active in free agency in the first year of Kahn replacing Colbert as GM. One of their biggest losses wasn’t a player. Linebackers coach Brian Flores, who had a profound impact on the defense last year, left to take the defensive coordinator job with the Vikings. The Steelers feel they’ll be improved just by the natural growth of quarterback Kenny Pickett in his second season. It’s a big reason they elected not to make a change at offensive coordinator and offensive system.
Unfinished business: It’s unlikely the Steelers will eat up any more of their $10.7 million cap space with another veteran signing. The signing of left guard Seumalo was a big addition to their starting offensive line. With seven draft picks, including one in the first round and two in the second, they will seek to add another starter at offensive tackle and at cornerback.
