The free agency officially begins March 17 at 4:00 p.m. ET. The contracts of the players listed below expire if the Cleveland Browns do nothing until March 17th:
Unrestricted free agents
These are players over whom the Browns have no control over the squad, except for exclusive negotiating rights until a few days before the free agency. While there aren’t many Big Name players in Cleveland who will be unrestricted Free Agents, there are many players on this list who together made the team’s 2020 success.
- WR Rashard Higgins
- WR JoJo Natson
- WR Marvin Hall
- WR Taiwan Taylor
- LT Kendall Lamb
- FROM Olivier Vernon
- DT Larry Ogunjobi
- DT Vincent Taylor
- LB BJ Goodson
- LB Malcolm Smith
- LB Elijah Lee
- S. Andrew Sendejo
- S. Karl Joseph
- S. Tedric Thompson
- CB Terrance Mitchell
- CB Kevin Johnson
- K. Cody Parkey
Restricted free agents
These are intended for players who have served in the NFL for at least three years (i.e. 6 or more games on the roster or IR). The Browns can choose to give each player an offer for the 1st round, an offer for the 2nd round, or an offer for the original round.
Over the Cap estimates the tenders for 2021 $ 4.873 million for the first round tender, $ 3.422 million for the second round tender, and $ 2.240 million for the original round tenders. Another team can sign a player with an offer, but it would owe that team the appropriate draft pick if the team chooses not to honor the offer. If these players are not advertised at the beginning of the free agency, they will return to unrestricted free agents.
- WR KhaDarel Hodge
- LG Anthony Fabiano
- LB Tae Davis
- CB Tavierre Thomas
Free agents with exclusive rights
The ERFA label applies to players who have less than three seasons in the NFL (i.e. 6 or more games on the roster or IR). Under ERFA rules, the Browns could offer these players a minimum annual salary of $ 660,000, $ 780,000, or $ 850,000 based on the seasons credited (i.e. 3 or more games on the roster but excluding IR) (i.e. in the league) if the Browns make an offer to an ERFA, no other team can sign the player.
- TO Stephen Carlson
- FROM Porter Gustin
- FROM George Obinna
- CB Brian Allen
In the coming weeks we will carry out free agent reviews for every UFA, RFA and ERFA.
