The Cleveland Browns will spend the next seven months evaluating the current situation at quarterback.
Between now and the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, the team needs to know, or at least have a solid understanding, what rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders bring to the field. If they can successfully do that, then general manager Andrew Berry will have a clear picture of how to use the pair of first-round picks he currently has in his pocket.
While most of the focus will be on the quarterbacks, the coaches and front office will keep an eye on several players in the last year of their contracts, with the following five to watch this fall.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II
Cleveland’s first-round selection in 2021, Greg Newsome II was a solid starter opposite Denzel Ward his first three seasons, as he had an average coverage grade of 72.5 and an average overall grade of 68.9 from Pro Football Focus.
Newsome took a big downtown in 2024, however. After starting 11 or more games in each of his first three seasons, Newsome only started three times last season and finished with a coverage grade of 54 (163rd out of 222 ranked cornerbacks) and an overall grade of 52.2 (177th out of 222 cornerbacks).
The Browns picked up Newsome’s fifth-year option for this season, and he will need a bounce-back year to earn a second contract in Cleveland.
Kansas City Chiefs v Cleveland Browns Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
Center Ethan Pocic
Cleveland signing Ethan Pocic as a free agent in 2022 was a mostly quiet transaction. But when starter Nick Harris went down with a season-ending injury in the preseason, Pocic stepped in and quickly became one of the game’s best at his position.
Pocic’s play has declined during his time with the Browns, however, as his overall grade from Pro Football Focus has gone from 78.9 in 2022 to 63.6 last season. His run-blocking grade has also dropped 19 percent, which is not a good sign for a team that may be looking to emphasize the run this fall.
The Browns have a potential succession plan in place with Luke Wypler on the roster, so Pocic needs to rediscover his form to earn that next contract.
Baltimore Ravens v Cleveland Browns Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
Guard Wyatt Teller
It wasn’t until his second season with the Browns that Wyatt Teller took off, but when he did, he put up a two-year stretch of play that put him among the league’s best at the guard position.
Teller’s play has been declining the past three years with a 32 percent drop in his overall PFF grade from his high point of 92.2 in 2020 down to 62.6 last season as he dealt with injuries that cost him four games. His run-blocking grade, which is the high point of Teller’s game, has seen a similar drop of 34 percent in the same time frame.
And like the situation with Ethan Pocic, the Browns started to work on a succession plan with the drafting of Zak Zinter last season, but with fellow guard Joel Bitonio effectively year-to-year now, Teller will need to find his old form in his upcoming contract season.
New York Jets v Cleveland Browns Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
Defensive end Alex Wright
The Browns have been bullish on Alex Wright since selecting him in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he appeared ready to take a step forward after picking up five sacks as part of Cleveland’s defensive end rotation in 2023.
But a torn triceps brought surgery and a trip to the season-ending injured reserve list after just four games last season, and now the pressure is on for Wright to continue the upward trend he was displaying before the injury.
There should be plenty of opportunities for Wright to insert back into the rotation this fall as the Browns are not exactly flush at the position once you get past Myles Garrett. There will still be plenty of competition, however, so Wright needs to make it to the season first and then take advantage of every chance he gets to show the Browns he is deserving of a second contract with the club.
Chicago Bears v Cleveland Browns Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr.
Martin Emerson made a splash his rookie season, especially in coverage, as part of Cleveland’s cornerback group. But it has been all downhill from there.
After posting a coverage grade of 75.1 from Pro Football Focus as a rookie, Emerson dropped all the way down to a grade of 48.4 last season while starting 15 games. That is a tough road to take when you are playing more than 500 snaps each season in coverage.
Emerson needs to regain his rookie form this fall to earn a second contract, be it with the Browns or another team.