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Cleveland Browns’ free agents in 2026 – plenty of holes to fill

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 21: Joel Bitonio #75 of the Cleveland Browns in action during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field on December 21, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

Free agency will officially begin on March 11th at 4:00 PM ET. The players below will have their contracts expire if the Cleveland Browns do not do anything by March 11th (unless otherwise noted). You can view the entire offseason calendar for the Browns here.

Voided Contracts – Unrestricted Free Agents

These players have contracts that void prior to the start of free agency, with Cleveland set to carry dead cap on them in 2026 unless something is negotiated beforehand:

  • TE David Njoku – Must terminate by March 12, $24.331 million in dead cap
  • C Ethan Pocic – Voids March 10, $4.368 million in dead cap
  • OG Wyatt Teller – Must terminate by March 12, $21.304 million in dead cap
  • OG Tevin Jenkins – Voids March 10, $1.2 million in dead cap
  • OT Jack Conklin – Must terminate by March 12, $12.412 million million in dead cap
  • DT Shelby Harris – Voids March 10, $2.043 million in dead cap
  • LB Devin Bush – Voids March 10, $1.44 million in dead cap

A couple of these contracts have what appear to be a poison pill to force their release, essentially like a void, but with the ability to make them a post-June 1st release.


Unrestricted Free Agents

These are players who the Browns have no roster control over, other than exclusive negotiating rights up until a few days before free agency.

  • RB Jerome Ford
  • RB Trayveon Williams
  • WR DeAndre Carter
  • OT Cam Robinson
  • OG Joel Bitonio
  • DE Cameron Thomas
  • DE Julian Okwara*
  • LB Jerome Baker
  • CB D’Angelo Ross
  • CB Tre Avery
  • CB Martin Emerson
  • S Rayshawn Jenkins
  • P Corey Bojorquez

*Street Free Agent (SFA)


Restricted Free Agents

These are for players who have at least three years of accrued service in the NFL (i.e. 6 games or more on the roster or IR). The Browns can choose to place a 1st round tender, 2nd round tender, or original round tender on each player.

Over the Cap estimates the 2026 tenders to be $8.107 million for the 1st round tender, $5.811 million for the 2nd round tender, and $3.547 million for original round tenders. Another team can sign a player with a tender, but they would owe that team the corresponding draft pick if the team opts not to match the offer. If these players are not tendered by the start of free agency, they revert to unrestricted free agents.

  • TE Blake Whiteheart
  • DE Sam Kamara
  • LB Mohamoud Diabate
  • S Ronnie Hickman
  • CB Sam Webb

Exclusive-Rights Free Agents

The ERFA label applies to players who have less than three accrued seasons in the NFL (i.e. 6 games or more on the roster or IR). Under the ERFA rules, the Browns could offer these players a one-year, minimum salary tender for $885,000, $1,005,000, or $1,075,000 based on credited seasons (i.e. 3 games or more on the roster, but not including IR). If the Browns make an offer to an ERFA, no other team would be able to sign the player.

  • WR Malachi Corley
  • WR Jamari Thrash
  • TE Brenden Bates
  • LB Winston Reid
  • CB Anthony Kendall
  • K Andre Szmyt
  • LS Rex Sunahara

We will have free agent reviews on each UFA, RFA, and ERFA in the coming weeks.

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