NFL playoffs, Browns free agency: Lions Tim Patrick, Levi Onquzurike could be Cleveland targets

The likely end to the Deshaun Watson era has allowed Cleveland Browns fans to reengage with the team they have had so much passion for. The 2024 season was a killer for that passion from Browns fans as they felt like there was no hope.

Now, with Tommy Rees taking over as offensive coordinator and Mike Bloomberg coming in to coach the offensive line, Cleveland feels like they’ve turned the corner back to HC Kevin Stefanski’s system. Having the second pick in the 2025 NFL draft and a lot of rollover cap to manipulate the salary cap is helpful for fans as well.

In free agency we started looking at all of the teams in the playoffs and what pending free agents they have. So far we have covered:

The final piece in our series looks at the NFC’s top seed, the Detroit Lions, who have just four players who logged over 50% of the unit’s snaps this year hitting free agency. The Lions kickoff against the Washington Commanders Saturday night at 8:00 PM

Lions Free Agents

At just 27 yards old, Onquzurike can help in a number of positions for Cleveland after getting the most snaps of his career in 2024.

The unique 6’4” who can play the power slot receiver role, Patrick has never had 1,000 yards in a season but is a steady contributor including over 50 catches, 700 yards and five or more touchdowns before injuries derailed his career for a few seasons. 2024 has been a nice bounceback for Patrick.

Davis hits the list partially due to the limited free agents seeing many snaps this year in Detroit. The veteran would be an option if the Browns moved on from either Greg Newsome II and/or Martin Emerson Jr.

Melifonwu didn’t play much this season due to a severe ankle injury that kept him out the first two months of the year and a dislocated finger that took away another month. The 6’3” corner/safety played all over the place when he was on the field and could give Jim Schwartz a nice chess piece to move around. Finishing his rookie contract, Melifonwu could provide more than veteran depth with his best season coming in 2023.

You can peruse all the pending free agents at Over the Cap.

Do any of the above options look like helpful fits for the 2025 Browns?