The Cleveland Browns made the controversial decision to mortgage their next three first-round picks in a trade for former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson last week. Watson, who is in the midst of controversy involving alleged sexual misconduct with 22 women, was the biggest chip to fall in the 2022 NFL offseason, and easily the most notable trade since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999. That said, there is still work to be done in regards to the Browns 2022 roster. Luckily for the front office and general manager Andrew Berry, the addition of Watson has cultivated new interest from free agents (even Odell Beckham Jr) and given the Browns a quarterback that, if cleared of the aforementioned allegations, could be the cornerstone piece that the franchise has so desperately needed for the last two decades.

With only a couple of glaring needs left on an otherwise stellar roster, the Browns would be best suited to make the two moves below. Should Watson be cleared to play, and the Browns secure the two players about to be discussed, Cleveland fans could very well be celebrating their first football championship in nearly 60 years, and the city's first championship since LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers brought the Larry O'Brien trophy home in 2016.

1. Re-Sign Defensive End Jadeveon Clowney

While Myles Garrett is without a doubt the premier edge rusher in Cleveland, racking up 16 sacks in 2021, the Browns would be lying to themselves if they didn't think the success of the defense overall was not aided by the presence of veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. In just 14 games, Clowney would go on to secure nine sacks in 2021, tied for the second-highest single-season total of his career. He would finish with 38 total tackles as well as two forced fumbles.

While there have been a number of teams interested in Clowney at his estimated market rate of about $12.7 million, he may be willing to take a friendly discount to stay in Cleveland and play with a familiar face. Clowney played two seasons with new Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in Houston in 2017 and 2018, before Clowney departed for the Seattle Seahawks. The Texans would win 11 games in 2018 with Watson and Clowney, losing in the Wild Card round to the Indianapolis Colts. Given that he has seen Watson's ability to lead a team and perform at a high-level first hand, it could be enough for Jadeveon Clowney to sneak back onto the roster with the Browns' estimated $22 million remaining in cap space.

2. Sign Free Agent Defensive Tackle Akiem Hicks

The Cleveland Browns' 4-3 defensive scheme calls for many things, with one of the most vital being a run-stuffing interior defensive line. Unfortunately, that area was a pain point for Cleveland in 2021, and an area that needs immediate attention if they want to allow Myles Garrett and potentially Jadeveon Clowney to continue to do what they do best on the edge.

One of the most prominent interior run stuffers in the NFL is on the open market in Akiem Hicks. At an estimated $5.5 million annually per Spotrac, Hicks would be a bargain for a team looking to gain some ground in the trenches.

Hicks' ability to plug the middle has been shown time and time again over the course of his 10-year career. While the Browns' 4-3 scheme would be an adjustment for Hicks, sliding him into the 3-technique slot would eat up double teams left and right, allowing for one-on-one pass protection against Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney on the outside. He finished 2021 with 3.5 sacks, 25 tackles (five for loss), nine quarterback hits, and 11 pressures in just nine games. Playing in just nine games last season is probably the biggest concern for the 32-year-old, as he missed eight games due to injury. He also played in just five games in 2019. Should Hicks land in Cleveland, the Browns would instantly catapult themselves into having one of the premier defensive fronts in all of football.