The Cleveland Browns are in need of a new safety after releasing John Johnson. As the Browns look for Johnson's replacement, impending Cincinnati Bengals' free agent Jessie Bates has become a name of interest.

With Johnson now off the roster, the Browns' top target to replace him is Bates, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. While Cabot confirmed that Bates will fetch around $14 million a year on the open market, he is the exact type of player the Browns covet. Cleveland will have to restructure some contracts to sign Bates, as they are currently $14 million over the salary cap limit.

Releasing John Johnson was the first step of the puzzle. His departure saves the Browns $7.5 million. If the Browns are locked in on Bates, they'll do their best to find a way to get a deal done.

Jessie Bates started 16 games for the Bengals this past season. He racked up 71 tackles, defended eight passes and came away with four interceptions. His interception total was a new career-high. Back in 2020, Bates was named an All-Pro after putting up 78 tackles, 15 passes defended and three interceptions. The tackles and passes defended were both career-highs.

The Browns had one of the better pass defenses in the league last season. Cleveland ranked fifth in the NFL, allowing 196.2 yards in the air per game.

Adding Bates to that unit would only make Cleveland more explosive. After a disappointing 7-10 season, the Browns are looking to make massive improvements. Signing Bates would be a sure way to jump start the Browns' offseason.