The quarterback competition, which is in its early stages, has been the key story of the Cleveland Browns’ offseason. The draft was a big part of things, too.

But as the Browns shift toward the final phase of their offseason program and this week’s start of organized team activities, we’re taking a slight (and brief) detour from the quarterback battle and diving into some of the additions they’ve made toward the middle and back end of a fluid depth chart.

There was no huge push early in free agency given the team’s salary-cap situation related to Deshaun Watson’s contract. But, for now, we’re focusing on some moves after the first wave of free agency — and even after the draft — for clues on how the folks in charge view certain position groups and potential areas of need. Some are names most NFL fans will know, while others are not.

You might view these players as inexpensive plug-ins or necessary stopgaps, and you might be right. Expect the Browns to use these next four weeks to evaluate their situation at multiple positions before deciding where they might need to dive back into what’s left on the veteran market, and where they’ll rely on rookies once training camp begins later this summer.

All contract details are via Over the Cap, which lists the Browns as having $16.8 million in salary-cap space, with four draft picks unsigned and the team scheduled to receive more space on Sunday, when the post-June 1 releases of Dalvin Tomlinson and Juan Thornhill kick in.

Wide receivers Diontae Johnson and DeAndre Carter

The Browns signed Johnson two days after the draft, making Cleveland his fifth stop in 13 months. He’s been traded twice and claimed on waivers twice. The Baltimore Ravens traded for him ahead of last season’s deadline, but they suspended Johnson for refusing to enter a game. After the Houston Texans moved on, too, during the playoffs, the Ravens claimed him back but kept him inactive in hopes of eventually having Johnson land them a compensatory pick.

That didn’t happen. The Browns signed Johnson to a minimum contract on the first day that signings did not count toward a team’s compensatory formula. They have two clear starters in Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, but didn’t draft a wideout and the receiver situation is open beyond that.

If the Browns get the best version of Johnson, who turns 29 in July, they’d likely find a starting slot receiver who might have to view this opportunity as his last chance. Johnson was leading the Carolina Panthers in receptions last season before he was traded to the Ravens.

His best season was in 2021 with Pittsburgh, when he had 107 receptions for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. Johnson signed a big extension in the summer following his career year, but the Steelers traded him in March 2024 for cornerback Donte Jackson and a late-round pick swap. The Browns view Johnson as worth the shot with no guaranteed money in his contract.

They officially signed Carter on April 1. The 32-year-old has mostly been a return specialist the past two seasons, but he has 117 career receptions. The Browns probably view him as a return option who will be given a shot to make the team at the bottom of the wide receiver group, too.

If Johnson sticks, it might be difficult for Carter to make the team as a returner only. If the Browns don’t see progress from the receiving group outside of Jeudy and Tillman, expect them to get back in the veteran market later this summer.

Defensive backs Nik Needham, Rayshawn Jenkins and Damontae Kazee

Two years ago, the Browns found a contributor in the back end of the safety market when they reunited Rodney McLeod with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. With Thornhill cut after two disappointing seasons and McLeod having retired, the Browns waited until after the draft to sign Kazee and Jenkins.

Both are 31 and have been in the NFL since 2017. Kazee has not been a full-time starter since 2021, but he played a variety of roles for the Steelers for the last three seasons, mostly at free safety and occasionally in the slot.

Needham was mostly a slot cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, but after he played just one defensive snap last season, the Browns signed him a week before the draft. Like Johnson, Needham is on a veteran minimum contract with no guaranteed money.

The Browns always believe in adding cornerback depth when possible, and Needham’s addition probably isn’t directly related to Martin Emerson Jr. and Greg Newsome II entering the final year of their current contracts. Newsome is making more than $13 million on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option, but the Browns would incur no dead money if they traded him.

A torn Achilles in October 2022 kept Needham out for 12 months — and happened just after he had claimed a full-time role in Miami. With 27 starts and six career interceptions, Needham brings experience on defense and special teams, even if the Browns keep the rest of the cornerback group intact. He has some experience at safety, too, and that could help him secure a roster spot if he can remain healthy and find his previous form.

Almost all of Jenkins’ $1.22 million salary is guaranteed, while Kazee got more than $800,000 in guarantees. The Browns also gave undrafted rookie safety Donovan McMillon $210,000 in guarantees, the most the team gave to any of its 13 undrafted rookies.

These bonuses for undrafted players are tiny compared to the big commitments established players receive, but they can serve as a guide to who the Browns prioritized in the post-draft scramble to secure those not selected. In McMillon’s case, it means he’s guaranteed a full year’s practice squad salary if he doesn’t end up on some team’s active roster.

Offensive lineman Teven Jenkins

Teven Jenkins, 27, was in the top 30 on The Athletic’s pre-free agency list, but he didn’t sign until late March. He has an injury history but has been good when healthy. The Browns giving him $2.67 million in guaranteed money on a one-year deal signals that he’s in their plans.

Jenkins has mostly played guard, where the Browns have longtime starters Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. But Jenkins made three starts at tackle as a rookie in 2021, and he could play either tackle or guard for Cleveland this spring.

The Browns probably view Dawand Jones as their starting left tackle, but he’s out until training camp while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. Bitonio usually doesn’t participate in voluntary OTAs, so Jenkins could play with the starters at left guard. Veteran tackle Cornelius Lucas is likely to be the top left tackle this spring.

The Chicago Bears drafted Jenkins in the second round in 2021, and he started 38 games over four seasons. Besides Jenkins, the Browns have 2024 third-round pick Zak Zinter, third-year player Luke Wypler and 2024 undrafted rookie Javion Cohen in the mix as backup interior linemen.

Wypler missed last season after suffering a fractured ankle in the preseason, while Cohen made the initial roster last summer before spending most of the season on the practice squad. Zinter played early last season when Teller was injured, but he was benched after two starts.

The team’s top three interior linemen — Bitonio, Teller and center Ethan Pocic — are all under contract only through 2025.