NFL Free Agency: Browns showing interest in Jameis Winston after losing Jacoby Brissett, per report

The Cleveland Browns have shown increased interest in Jameis Winston to be their backup quarterback, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.

The news comes after the New England Patriots signed former Browns backup Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal.

According to Cabot’s sources, Winston and Browns’ starter Deshaun Watson have a “great relationship and would work well together.” The new development of potentially signing Winston has also put negotiations with Joe Flacco, the NFL’s reigning most-improved player, to the side, per the report.

Winson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft after winning a Heisman Trophy at Florida State. He has split his nine-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints, the latter of which he has spent the last four years.

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams can enter into a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. Following the restricted free agent deadline comes the 2024 NFL Draft, which runs from April 25-27.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match, that round’s pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.