Three Cleveland Browns players ought to get extensions before the league season ends

Browns roster is already expensive but a few players have earned extensions

There are currently 21 players on the Cleveland Browns who will be available as free agents in March 2024. Three players in particular have shown to be valuable assets for the team’s performance, even though it could be argued that quite a few of them should be extended or let go.

Grant Delpit

Due to an Achilles injury he sustained during rookie training camp, Delpit had a sluggish start in Cleveland and missed the whole 2020 campaign. In the second half of the 2021 season, he made his full-time debut following surgery and several months of recovery. He was uneven overall, although he did a great job in most areas. In terms of his total output and performance, he started to find his groove in the 2022 campaign, particularly in the latter nine or ten games of the regular season.

He has been thriving thus far in 2023 under Jim Schwartz’s tutelage as defensive coordinator. Targeted in pass coverage, he is currently allowing one of the lowest completion percentages, with an overall PFF rating of 73.8. He’s going to be on this year’s Pro Bowl roster if he keeps going in the same direction.

The Browns will find it difficult to afford Delpit, but they must at least attempt to make it work. Teams can typically “find” the money for players like him.

Current projected value: $12.386M per year

Maurice Hurst

This one is pretty self-explanatory.

With an overall PFF grade of 87.9, which places him among the highest-graded defensive linemen in the league regardless of position, Hurst has been one of the most significant and impactful free agent signings of the 2023 offseason. His technical skill and quickness as a pass rusher and run-stopper have made him nearly unblockable at times.

Despite his incredible output thus far, he won’t “break the bank” for Cleveland in the long run.

Current projected value: $4.688M per year

Sione Takitaki

During his first five years in the NFL, Takitaki has been the epitome of consistency for the Browns on the field. Despite being more of a “tweener” when he first joined the league, he has established himself as the team’s real off-ball linebacker. For Cleveland, he has proven that he can play all three linebacker spots and rush passes as a sub-package player with his hands in the ground. In addition, he contributes significantly to special teams, which raises his value even more.

Like Hurst, Sione Takitaki is deserving of an extension and shouldn’t ask for an absurdly high sum of money.

Current projected value: $2.74M per year