Free-Agent Contracts Browns Must Pursue After Preseason

The Cleveland Browns have one of the best rosters top-to-bottom as they head into their Week 1 matchup against the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs. 

That doesn't mean that general manager Andrew Berry's job is done, though. 

The team may have spent camp paring down the active roster to 53, but the quest to build a championship team continues. Case in point, the Browns recently brought in edge-rusher Ifeadi Odenigbo to join the practice squad. 

The 27-year-old started 15 games for the Vikings last season and has 10.5 sacks over the last two seasons. It's the kind of sneaky pickup that could pay dividends over the course of an 18-week season. 

So while the roster is in a great place, there are always some free agents worth keeping an eye on. Here are three who could be fits in Cleveland. 

With a championship-caliber roster, the Browns are bound to put their kicker in some high-pressure situations. Right now, the responsibility of getting the ball through the uprights falls on 25-year-old Chase McLaughlin. 

Thus far, McLaughlin has been a serviceable kicker. He's played for six teams in two seasons and has made 22 of his 28 field goal attempts while hitting all but one of his 32 extra points. But that's only 60 total kicks in the NFL. 

The Browns may want to kick the tires on some veteran kickers. Randy Bullock is one of the better ones available. He was cut by the Lions when they made their final roster decisions. 

Bullock has spent the last four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and has converted on at least 80 percent of his field-goal attempts in those years. Last season, he connected on 21-of-26 attempts with a long of 55. 

It would appear the veteran is still a capable kicker with a strong leg. If the younger McLaughlin falters early, Bullock should be on the shortlist to replace him. 

The Cleveland Browns have plenty of new names who will be vying for playing time in the secondary. Christian Uphoff won't be one of them. 

But the undrafted free agent out of Southern Illinois is the kind of player who is perfect for the practice squad. Uphoff had a strong preseason for the Green Bay Packers. Multiple Packers beat writers had the safety on their final 53-man roster projections. 

That made it even more surprising when he didn't make the practice squad. 

Uphoff has the size at 6'2" and 209 pounds to be an intriguing safety who can play at the line of scrimmage. He was named the top safety for the National Team at the Senior Bowl. He just may need time to develop making the transition from FCS Southern Illinois. 

A smart team is going to sign him to the practice squad and give him a season to prove he can make an NFL roster. The Browns would be wise to be that team. 

Gareon Conley remains unsigned heading into Week 1. There are some health concerns after not playing a snap in 2020 following an ankle injury. 

Conley is the poster child for how quickly the league can move on from a player. He was traded for a third-round pick in 2019 (granted it was by the Texans with Bill O'Brien calling the shots), and now there isn't a team who has added him to the roster. 

Based on his talent and potential, that shouldn't be the case. Conley has struggled at times, but he only allowed a 52.2 percent completion rate when targeted in the eight games he played with the Texans.

An Ohio State product and a native of Massillon, Ohio, it would make sense for the Browns to target a local talent. He isn't good enough to unseat Greg Newsome II on the outside or even push Greedy Williams, but he's worth a look as a developmental prospect who could have some untapped potential or be a fill-in in case of injuries.