In the eighth of a 32-part series, we are featuring all National Football League teams with a prediction of where each team will finish within their division, key off-season acquisitions and their top fantasy stars. Here are the Cleveland Browns.
Key Off Season Acquisitions
The Cleveland Browns added five notable players in the offseason–three via free agency and two via trade. They signed guard Zion Johnson of Bowie, Maryland, center Elgton Jenkins of Clarksdale, Mississippi, and linebacker Quincy Williams of Birmingham, Alabama via free agency. Cleveland also acquired offensive tackle Tytus Howard of Monroeville, Alabama and defensive end Jared Verse of Dayton, Ohio via trade.
Johnson signed a three-year contract worth $49.5 million with the Browns on March 11. He played his last four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jenkins signed a two-year contract worth $24 million with the Browns on March 11. He played with the Green Bay Packers the last seven seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2022.
Williams signed a two-year contract worth $13 million with the Browns on March 11. He is joining his third NFL team after two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2019 and 2020), and five seasons with the New York Jets (2021 to 2025). This past season in the Big Apple, Williams had 83 combined tackles (45 solo tackles and 38 assisted tackles), eight tackles for a loss, five quarterback hits, seven pass deflections and 3.5 sacks.
Howard was traded from the Houston Texans to the Browns for a fifth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on March 11. He played the last seven seasons with the Texans and signed a three-year contract extension worth $63 million upon his arrival in Cleveland.
Verse was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Browns on June 1, 2026 with three draft picks for defensive end Myles Garrett. He was the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 and has been selected to the Pro Bowl the last two years. In 2025, Verse had 58 combined tackles (35 solo tackles and 23 assisted tackles), 11 tackles for a loss, 27 quarterback hits, one pass deflection, three forced fumbles and 7.5 sacks. The pass deflection came in a 21-19 Rams win over the Seattle Seahawks on November 16.
The Browns also have a new head coach this season. Todd Monken of Wheaton, Illinois is the new bench boss. He takes over from Kevin Stefanski. Monken was recently the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.
Fantasy Star
Harold Fannin Jr. of Canton, Ohio is ranked eighth among tight ends. In his rookie season with Cleveland, Fannin Jr. had 72 catches for 731 receiving yards and six touchdown catches.
Projected Finish
The Browns will be the worst team in the AFC North. They are by far the least talented team in the division, and have a lot of question marks at quarterback where you never know what to expect from Deshaun Watson.
