CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The new league year arrived at 4 p.m. Wednesday and the Browns made a few moves official.
Here’s the top Brownie bites. As the calendar shifts to 2025 for the NFL.
QB swap – The trade with Philadelphia for quarterback Kenny Pickett is official. The Eagles received quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the 2025 fifth-round pick they received from Detroit for defensive end Za’Darius Smith last fall. Pickett is in the final year of his four-year rookie contract and is scheduled to make over $2.6 million this year while Thompson-Robinson had two years remaining on his contract. Originally drafted by the Steelers 20th overall in 2020, Pickett started one game last season for Philadelphia and has 25 starts over three seasons under his belt. In 30 games, Pickett has a 62.4 completion percentage while throwing for 4,765 yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He’s also been sacked 54 times.
Wilson visit – Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is scheduled to visit the Browns on Thursday. Wilson is also expected to meet with the New York Giants. Last season in Pittsburgh Wilson started 11 games where he completed under 64% of his passes for 2,482 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He was also named a Pro Bowl alternate.
Tomlinson’s replacement – The Browns agreed to terms on a two-year, $20 million deal with defensive tackle Maliek Collins. Collins likely replaces Dalvin Tomlinson, who will be designated a post-June 1 cut. The former 2016 third round pick started all 17 games for the 49ers in 2024 where he tallied 5.0 sacks, 12 QB hits, 5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.
Officially official – Three free agent agreements were announced Wednesday by the team, including the termination of Juan Thornhill’s contract with a post-June 1 designation. Linebacker Devi Bush is set to return and be joined by unrestricted free agents offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas and defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
Cap adjustment – The Browns 2025 adjusted salary cap sits at $325,912,898 according to figures provided by the NFLPA. The player’s association also reported that the Browns spent a whopping $342,921,737 for the 2024 league calendar year. Only San Francisco and Dallas spent more.