Could the Cleveland Browns land defensive tackle D.J. Reader in 2024 NFL free agency?

The wait for NFL free agency is nearly over, as legal tampering begins Monday, March 11th, at noon Eastern time. Of course, the Cleveland Browns have already gotten an early start by agreeing to a trade for Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Again, Cleveland needs the defensive tackle position after several contributors from last year were only on one-year deals. The Score recently published an article linking the Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader as a possibility for the Browns to sign.

“Reader may have to settle for a one-year deal after a torn quad ended his 2023 season. If healthy, though, that could make him one of the steals of this year’s free-agent class. Reader has long been among the NFL’s premier interior run defenders. He’s never been one to pile up sack numbers, but his underlying pass-rush metrics look pretty good. His presence next to Myles Garrett could be the final piece for an already outstanding Browns defense.

Though Reader has been the subject of some injury concerns lately, his impact on the field is hard to argue with. Browns fans have seen him twice a year for a long time and know it is nearly impossible to consistently run the ball directly at Reader.”

This would be a great addition for the Browns, though with the injuries, I’m not sure the team would guarantee him the projected $9 million in guarantees.