The Cleveland Browns have been active this offseason, including a blockbuster trade of Myles Garrett.
Yet, with training camp a month away, the Browns still could make more moves. Cleveland could look to add more talent to the roster, but the Browns could also look to extend some of their own players.
Ahead of the start of the 2026 NFL season, ESPN insider Aaron Schatz urges the Browns to extend star safety Grant Delpit.
“Extend safety Grant Delpit. Delpit is still playing at a high level,” Schatz wrote as the move the Browns need to do before the season begins. “It can be hard to judge safety play, whether you use statistics or scouting, but Sports Info Solutions ranked him seventh among all safeties in its “total points saved” metric last season.
“However, his contract is set to void after the 2026 season. He’ll be 29 years old for the 2027 season and could still play an important role on defense if the Browns are actually more successful at rebuilding this time. He would be a good veteran to keep around for the next couple of seasons.”
Delpit is in the final year of his three-year, $36 million deal, and at age 27, he still has plenty of good years left. So, keeping him in the fold as a starting safety makes a lot of sense for the Browns.
Delpit recorded 89 tackles along with 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and an interception. He’s spent his entire career in Cleveland after being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Browns Want to Extend Delpit
With Delpit entering the final year of his deal and being a key part of the defense, the Browns are hoping to extend him.
According to Cleveland.com writer Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns are expected to pursue an extension during or before the season with Delpit. Although he is entering the final year of his deal, Delpit has made an impact at OTAs and minicamp.
“Just really proud, his communication in the offseason’s been phenomenal. His time in the building has been great, working hard, being present, doing a great job in meetings, being a veteran leader,” said safeties coach Ephraim Banda. … “I think he’s the second-longest tenured Brown now, if I’m not mistaken, or on defense, if I’m not mistaken. So, great to have him around. Love him. It’s been good. We’re going on Year 4 together now, so it’s been really good to have that.”
Whether or not the Browns and Delpit will be able to agree to an extension before the start of the season is uncertain.
Cleveland Could Trade Away Veterans
Although the Browns are hopeful to extend Delpit, that may not be the case.
Instead, Browns insider Zac Jackson of The Athletic believes the team could look to trade veteran Denzel Ward and even Delpit if an extension isn’t reached.
“Yes, the Browns should trade Denzel Ward if they can find the right deal,” Jackson wrote. “As for the uncertainty with Grant Delpit ahead of the final year of his contract, the result should either be an extension or a trade, too. There’s no sense in partially embracing a rebuild, and the team should swallow as much dead money as necessary on the salary cap in the next two seasons to get back to spending big money going forward.”
Regardless, the Browns will have to make some intriguing decisions before the season starts.
Browns Urged to Make Intriguing Move on ‘High Level’ Player Before NFL Season