The Cleveland Browns didn’t have much capital to work with in the 2023 NFL Draft. They weren’t on the clock until the third round because of trades made previously. Despite that, Cleveland did a good job of finding value and filling a few needs along the way.
With a decent amount of cap space remaining, the Browns may not be done adding pieces to their roster. There are still a few players available in free agency that could help the team and roster moves will eventually add even more useful pieces to the market.
Who could the Browns look to target now that the draft is behind them? One player to keep an eye on is running back J.D. McKissic. With Kareem Hunt still a free agent and D’Ernest Johnson signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Browns’ depth behind Nick Chubb is lacking.
McKissic isn’t a slouch in the running game but his bread and butter is in the passing game. He is an excellent pass-catching back and gets the job done in pass protection. With Chubb dominating early down work, having a capable passing game back is key for Cleveland.
Another player to keep an eye on is defensive end, Frank Clark. The Browns got virtually zero pass-rushing production last season from anyone outside of Myles Garrett. With Jadeveon Clowney not returning, adding a veteran like Clark to the mix would make sense.
Cleveland did sign Ogbonnia Okoronkwo in free agency and used a fourth-round pick on Isaiah McGuire and both will certainly help. But, neither is on the level of Clark, who has vast playoff experience and success in his career as well with the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks.
Last, but not least, linebacker Anthony Barr could be a fit in Cleveland. Barr spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, where Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski worked on the offensive side of the ball from 2006-2019.
In 14 games and 10 starts with the Dallas Cowboys last season, Barr had 58 tackles and one sack. Adding a proven player to the linebacker rotation is never a bad idea. While Barr may not be as impactful as he was earlier in his career when he made four Pro Bowls, he is certainly still a serviceable player.
