With the signing of Jerome Baker, Jack Duffin takes a look at how the Cleveland Browns 2025 linebacker position room will probably look once we get to week one of the season.
It can take a couple of days for the official numbers to come out once a contract is agreed as we don't just need the total numbers from the agent but the full breakdown of everything in the deal. In the meantime I am going to take a look at how this addition changes the position room and who the players in it most likely are come week one of the season.
As things stand we don't have a clear picture on what Jerome Baker will earn. He signed a $7m/1 deal with the Seattle Seahawks last offseason but after five games he was traded to the Tennessee Titans along with a fourth round pick for Ernest Jones, playing another five games there. PFF had him getting paid a deal worth $5.25m a year, I was less high on him and had $3m as his projected number.
Previous Position Room
We will start by looking at how Andrew Berry's position room has been built to start the season each year:
2020 - Goodson, Smith, Takitaki, Wilson, Phillips, Davis
2021 - Walker, Owusu-Koramoah, Takitaki, Wilson, Smith, Fields
2022 - Walker, Owusu-Koramoah, Takitaki, Phillips, Fields
2023 - Walker, Owusu-Koramoah, Takitaki, Fields, Adams, Diabate
2024 - Hicks, Owusu-Koramoah, Bush, Fields, Watson, Diabate
Cash Spending Per Year
2020 - $6,992,292
2021 - $9,356,750
2022 - $7,977,374
2023 - $6,381,248
2024 - $17,820,844
Current Contracts
Jordan Hicks
2025 - $3,500,000 (no guarantees)
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
2025 - $5,250,000 (fully guaranteed)
2026 - $12,500,000 ($6,031,678 guaranteed)
2027 - $12,500,000 (no guarantees)
Mohamoud Diabate
2025 - $1,030,000 (no guarantees)
2026 - Restricted Free Agent
2027 - Unrestricted Free Agent
Devin Bush
2025 - $3,250,000 ($2,970,000 guaranteed)
Winston Reid
2025 - $960,000 (no guarantees)
2026 - Exclusive Rights Free Agent
2027 - Restricted Free Agent
2028 - Unrestricted Free Agent
Nathaniel Watson
2024 - $795,000 (no guarantees)
2025 - $960,000 (no guarantees)
2026 - $1,075,000 (no guarantees)
2027 - $1,190,000 (no guarantees)
Snap Counts
Here is a look at the snap counts for the position room so far this season:
How Many In 2025
The Cleveland Browns are likely to head into the 2025 season with six linebackers on the final 53-man roster and one on the practice squad.
People constantly talk about less linebackers and while they don't play much of a role defensively they are key special teamers.
With how Andrew Berry and smart teams operate they will want to have at least eight roster worthy players entering training camp so that if there is an injury they have an extra bodies in the mix. Five of these players will be ones that can contribute defensively as they need four on the final team and then a handful of pure special teamers. At the same time there is competition so that players aren't entering training camp knowing they have their spot unless some unknown UDFA beats them out.
Here is a look at the week one roster for each year Andrew Berry has been the General Manager of the Cleveland Browns.
More Additions
Re-Signing Players
They could still turn to Khaleke Hudson as a special teams linebacker for the room, he wouldn't be a lock to make the roster which could mean he looks elsewhere first. Here is what I wrote in my free agency cheat sheet about him. 'I would re-sign him as a pure special teams option. Ideally, they won't need a veteran filling this role on the depth chart but it gives them options, even if he is signed to the practice squad elevated when they need someone to play special teams.'
Free Agency
As things currently stand they have seven linebackers under contract for six places so they will certainly need to add some more. Since the depth talent is good with players like Reid and Watson plus several viable starters they might struggle to attract anyone of note. There is still one name that really intrigues me in Isaiah Simmons, here is a section from my free agency cheat sheet: 'I would love to take a bet on him as the team's fourth linebacker. He is a former first-round pick with upside, able to play special teams and if anyone can unlock him then Browns linebacker coach Jason Tarver is the one.'
The Draft
They could roll into the draft without adding another else in the draft, so this could easily be a UDFA signing to battle for a roster spot. You always want to have more bodies than you actually need for the final position room so they will want seven or eight roster worthy names to shortlist to the six.
Prediction
For me they are building an open competition most likely between Baker and Bush for the starting spot alongside Jordan Hicks but we will get a clearer picture once we have the Jerome Baker contract. I wouldn't be surprised to see it around the Devin Bush number of $3m.
Last season the rotation went JOK starting alongside Hicks with Bush as number three but from week six onwards Diabate overtook Bush on the depth chart. In my eyes when they gave Bush who was previously LB4 a deal worth over $3m that told us there is a very real chance that JOK is starting on the PUP list.
For me the Baker move if he gets around $3m this is an indication on how they view Diabate in my eyes. You aren't paying $3m for a LB4 so it will mean that he is probably pushed down the depth chart to be the fourth man up, not really playing much defensively and more of a special teamer.
Then you have Reid and Watson on cheap contracts filling out the bottom of the roster. If they add a late day three draft pick or UDFA then these are the players they are battling against.
Final 53
Jordan Hicks
Jerome Baker
Devin Bush
Mohamoud Diabate
Winston Reid
Nathaniel Watson
PUP - Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Former Cleveland Browns QB Jameis Winston agrees to contract with New York Giants
Former Cleveland Browns QB Jameis Winston has agreed to a contract with New York Giants
Noah Weiskopf6 hrs
Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston has agreed to terms on a new contract with the New York Giants. FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz was the first to report the two-year, $8M deal with a max value of $16M through incentives.
Winston — who was on a one-year deal with the Browns — took over the starting job in the regular season following the injury to quarterback Deshaun Watson.
In 2024, Winston tallied 2,121 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Winston now heads to New York, where the Giants' starting quarterback is unknown for 2025. Winston could start and mentor a rookie, could serve as a prime backup option to another veteran, or even sit behind and teach a rookie.
For Cleveland, as it stands, the Browns only have one quarterback on their roster, the newly acquired Kenny Pickett — who the team traded for from the Eagles March 12. In exchange, the Browns sent quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to Philadelphia.
With Cleveland likely to come out of the 2025 NFL Draft with a quarterback, its also still expected to land a veteran bridge quarterback at some point in free agency.
It's unclear whether the Browns will opt to start a signed veteran or roll the dice with a rookie quarterback in Week 1.
But regardless, Cleveland's free-agent options are dwindling.
Chiefs quarterback Carson Wentz is on the market. Wentz makes sense for the Browns and remains a realistic option.
The team also brought Russell Wilson in for a free agent visit last week but the sides don't seem close to a deal. And another possibility for Cleveland is former Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.