Hard to believe, but the 2025 free agency period is just a week old. For the Cleveland Browns, where are the splash players?

Every year, GM Andrew Berry has wowed all of us Browns fans with a huge signing or three of name-brand guys in positions of great need.

But this year? LB Devin Bush re-signed, a backup QB in Kenny Pickett, the replacement for Dalvin Tomlinson with DT Maliek Collins who was cut from his former team, and 33-year-old swing tackle Cornelius Lucas who is now on his sixth NFL club.

After a solid week, all of the marquee players are pretty much gone and have signed shiny new contracts with their new employers. But hold on, there still remains some good athletes available – and in positions of need for the Browns.

Currently, there are 23 Browns free agents that remain unsigned.

Let’s take a look at five free agents Cleveland should be interested in.

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QB Joe Flacco

6’-6”, 230 pounds

Age: 40

What is the issue? The Browns do not have a starting quarterback. We know Joe. He can come in and light up the scoreboard – and has.

In 2023, Flacco had five starts for Cleveland during the regular season. His stats were: 123 completions on 204 attempts, 1,616 yards, 60.3% completion ratio, 13 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 60 first down pass completions, 90.2 passer rating, 323.2 yards per game average, 9 pass drops, 3 batted passes, 19 hurries, just 14 hits, 8 sacks, plus he was named “NFL Comeback Player of the Year” for playing just five games.

In those five games, the Browns won four and qualified for the playoffs with the highest Wild Card seed. He passed for 309, 368, 374, 311, and 254 yards. Cleveland scored 37, 36, 20, 31, and 19 points in those contests.

That is an average of 28.6 points per game, and Flacco tossing an average of 323.2 yards with a 4-1 record.

Yes, it all blew up in the lone playoff loss to the Houston Texans, a team they beat handily in Week 15 to the tune of 36-22. But look at Flacco’s production in just five games down the stretch when the Browns were needing wins to secure a playoff spot.

How is this for a plan? Sign Flacco to a two-year deal (his final years as a active player before retirement), draft a young guy like Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss in Round 2, Will Howard of Ohio State or Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard or Dillon Gabriel from Oregon in Round 3, or perhaps Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke or Tyler Shough of Louisville in Round 4, and install Pickett who has 25 NFL starts as the backup. Then bring in a developmental guy for training camp fodder who will end up on the practice squad.

See how easy that was?

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S Justin Simmons

6’-2”, 202 pounds

Age: 31

The Atlanta Falcons had inked Simmons to a one-year deal before last season, and he responded with 62 total tackles, 7 batted passes, 2 interceptions, 2 tackles for loss, with 7 missed tackles.

The Browns desperately need a veteran player like Simmons to come in for a couple of seasons. Rodney McLeod retired, Jog Thornhill was released, and D’Anthony Bell remains a free agent.

Simmons is a two-time Pro Bowler, named Second Team All-Pro four seasons, and was the NFL interceptions leader in 2022 with six picks. He offers veteran leadership and has been one of the top ball-hawks of the past decade. An instinctual and sound defender.

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RB Nick Chubb

5’-11”, 227 pounds

Age: 29

Chubb remains unsigned. He is available. Do not insult him with a one-year prove-it contract, but sign him to a two-year deal that firmly states the franchise believes in his ability to have a storied comeback just like Saquan Barkley and Derrick Henry.

Does Berry need a ride down to Chubb’s home in Cedartown, Georgia?

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TE Tyler Conklin

6’-3”, 248 pounds

Age: 29

There were slim pickings at the tight end position in free agency this offseason, but Conklin offers a large catch radius and good hands over the middle, critical on third down and in the red zone. He is not going to wow anyone, but he is a steady presence and a good blocker.

Conklin has gained or teetered around the 600 receiving yard mark for the past four seasons. He has just 11 touchdowns in his seven-year career and has mainly been used in the run support game. Has 118 first down conversions in his career and would be a great compliment to starter David Njoku.

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OG Will Hernandez

6’-3”, 330 pounds

Age: 29

The Browns don’t need a starting offensive guard, just someone who is experienced to be at the ready. Hernandez has 91 NFL starts over his seven-year career and would pair nicely with second-year player Zak Zinter as Michael Dunn remains unsigned. Cleveland needs to make sure there is enough quality at depth this year because every season, the offensive line is plagued with a ton of injuries.

Hernandez did suffer a season-ending knee injury in Week 5 with the Arizona Cardinals last season as the club’s starting right guard. However, he was hurt early enough in 2024 that he can be finished with his recovery before training camp.

His pass blocking grade is 71.8, whereas his positive run blocking grade percentage is 11.2%.