One Free Agent Cleveland Browns Should Still Sign This Offseason

The Browns may still want to make a few more roster moves this offseason, and bolstering the defensive line could be a solid place to start.

Signing free agent pass rusher Leonard Floyd would make a lot of sense for Cleveland.

Why the Browns should look to sign Floyd

Floyd has made his mark in the NFL over the past 10 seasons, playing for teams such as the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons. Now at 33 years old, this seasoned pass rusher could bring his valuable experience to a young Browns roster that needs more veterans on both sides of the ball.

The Browns are also in need of another veteran pass rusher. They attempted to bring in former Bills pass rusher A.J. Epenesa by agreeing to a one-year deal this offseason. However, Cleveland didn't pass Epenesa's physical, which led to the deal falling apart.

The Browns could benefit from bringing in Floyd, as he has the potential to be a rotational player who would support Myles Garrett and the rest of the defensive line effectively.

While it's true that Floyd's prime years are behind him, he could still bring something valuable to the Browns. Last season, he recorded 3.5 sacks over 15 games. However, the year before that, he showed his potential by notching 8.5 sacks with the 49ers in 17 games. Even in the season prior, he made an impact, appearing in 17 games and recording 10.5 sacks while playing for the Bills.

One thing that is concerning about Floyd is that Pro Football Focus ranked him 82nd out of 115 pass rushers last season, placing him 71st in both pass rush and run defense. Those rankings were also not great in 2024, when Pro Football Focus ranked him 104th out of 121 pass rushers.

It's not the end of the world that PFF gave Floyd a low ranking, but it shouldn't deter the Browns from pursuing him. According to Spotrac, the Browns still have around $21 million in cap space available, while Floyd's market value is estimated at $8.9 million for this season. This means Cleveland could easily fit him under the cap. The Browns would only give Floyd a one-year deal. If he doesn't perform, Cleveland didn't give up anything to get him, and it won't have to take his contract into 2027.

Browns new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg has a connection to Floyd, as they were both part of the Falcons last season when Rutenberg was the Falcons' passing game coordinator.

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