Quincy Williams, Jets
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New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
The Cleveland Browns lost linebacker Devin Bush on the opening day of free agency but found a fill-in with haste from another AFC team picking up near the top of next month’s NFL draft.
Cleveland inked New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams to a two-year contract on Monday, March 9, per professional football reporter Jordan Schultz.
“BREAKING: The #Browns are signing former #Jets All-Pro LB Quincy Williams to a 2-year deal worth up to $17M, per sources,” Schultz posted to X. “A massive pickup.”
Jordan Schultz
BREAKING: The #Browns are signing former #Jets All-Pro LB Quincy Williams to a 2 year deal worth up to $17M, per sources.
A massive pickup.
Williams, a seven-year veteran who will play his age-30 campaign in 2026, spent the last five years in New York where he earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023. Williams played his first two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Over the course of his career, Williams has tallied 613 combined tackles, including 61 tackles for loss, 28 pass breakups, 12.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles and one interception.
Quincy Williams Will Replace LB Devin Bush on Browns Defense
Myles Harden #26 and Devin Bush #30 of the Cleveland Browns
GettyFormer Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush signed with the Chicago Bears in free agency.
Cleveland’s No. 4-ranked defense from last season will ask Williams to fill the role previously occupied by Bush, who took his talents to the Chicago Bears on Monday for a $30 million contract.
Bush is a couple of years younger than Williams and had a bigger impact on the field last season with 125 total tackles, including seven tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two sacks and two defensive touchdowns.
He spent the last two campaigns in Cleveland, appearing in 33 of 34 regular-season games and starting 27 of those contests. Bush played with the Seattle Seahawks in 2023 and spent the first four years of his career as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Offensive Guard Zion Johnson Represents Browns’ Biggest Move on Opening Day of NFL Free Agency
Khalil Mack
GettyFormer Los Angeles Chargers offensive guard Zion Johnson has signed with the Cleveland Browns.
The only other move the Browns made on Day 1 of free agency was the signing of offensive guard Zion Johnson, most recently of the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Former Chargers G Zion Johnson reached agreement today on a three-year, $49.5 million deal including $32.4 million guaranteed, with the Cleveland Browns, per his agents Alan Herman and Jared Fox,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported via X.
A former first-round pick in the 2022 draft, Johnson has been reliable from a health standpoint. He has played in 66 of 68 regular-season games across his first four campaigns, getting a starting nod in 65 of those outings.
Johnson was the league’s second-best offensive guard with regards to run block win rate and took just three penalties on the season. However, he struggled mightily against opposing pass rushes (fifth-worst in pass block win rate in 2025).
“A week after agreeing to terms with the [Houston] Texans on a trade for tackle Tytus Howard, Cleveland addresses its interior line with Johnson,” Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reported Monday. “[Johnson’s run blocking] should be a welcome sight to first-year coach Todd Monken, who wants to replicate the elite run game he produced while he was offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.”