The Cleveland Browns need help in just about every area of the offensive side of the roster.
Quarterback is a complete mess, but the lack of top-level options could lead the Browns to hold off on addressing that for another year.
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An aging and injured offensive line also needs to be addressed, given that four of last year’s five starters are scheduled to be free agents, and the fifth one, tackle Dawand Jones, has ended each of his three seasons on injured reserve.
Then there is wide receiver, which, while not as bad as the quarterback trio, is not causing opposing defensive coordinators to lose any sleep.
Fortunately, this year’s draft class looks to be deep at the position, and the Browns have 10 selections, including four in the first three rounds, to add some much-needed talent. They could simply select a wide receiver in Round 1, another one on Day 2 of the draft, and let the explosive plays commence.
Another path could come if general manager Andrew Berry gives in to his need to head to the bargain bin in search of wide receivers who have worn out their welcome on their current teams.
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That worked with Amari Cooper, who had consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with the Browns, until it didn’t, and Cooper was sent off to the Buffalo Bills for a pair of draft picks.
It worked in 2024 with Jerry Jeudy, who had 90 receptions for 1,229 yards, but not so much in 2025, as Cleveland’s presumptive No. 1 receiver fell off to just 50 receptions for 602 yards.
Berry could be at it again this offseason, as the San Francisco 49ers have had enough of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk after five seasons.
Aiyuk hasn’t played since tearing his ACL in 2024 during a Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. At the time, Aiyuk was coming off a two-year stretch where he had caught 153 passes for 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns, but had just 25 receptions for 374 yards and no touchdowns before being injured.
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From there, everything spiraled, according to The Athletic, as Aiyuk stopped attending team meetings, did not participate in team activities, and basically ghosted the organization. In response, San Francisco general manager John Lynch reportedly voided the guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s contract for 2026, and the team is expected to let him become a free agent in March.
Berry previously tried to work out a trade for Aiyuk, only for Aiyuk to let everyone know he was not interested in signing a contract extension with Cleveland.
Now that he is expected to be a free agent and hasn’t played a game since October 2024, Aiyuk may have undergone an attitude adjustment as it relates to playing with the Browns. But even if that is true, should the Browns really be interested in him?
While it would be unfair to classify Jeudy as being disgruntled, he is not living in a land of happiness after his down season. The Browns already have to deal with him this summer, and adding Aiyuk to the mix may be more than new head coach Todd Monken would want to deal with in his first training camp.
With any luck, another team will catch Aiyuk’s attention, perhaps the Washington Commanders, as Aiyuk was teammates with quarterback Jayden Daniels at Arizona State, and general manager Adam Peters previously worked with the 49ers, so they could offer Aiyuk a level of familiarity that does not exist in Cleveland.
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Berry may be disappointed in that scenario, but he could console himself by selecting a couple of wide receivers in the draft, which is probably what he should be doing anyway.