Getty

USA Today's Cleveland Browns Wire's Anthony Moeglin mentioned former Detroit Lions second-rounder Josh Pashcal as a potential free agency target.

The Cleveland Browns landed Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse in return for trading Myles Garrett. But as good as Verse already is, one player can’t replace Garrett.

So, the Browns could very well still be in the market for another edge rusher this summer. If they are, USA Today’s Browns Wire’s Anthony Moeglin proposed former second-round pick Josh Paschal as a potential target.

“A decent option would be Josh Pashcal, most recently from the Detroit Lions. The former second-round pick was recently cut from the Lions after three years of mediocre play,” wrote Moeglin. “He has the body type to be a great player, but it just hasn’t come to be. His market is less than $2M per year, and he could be a target for the Browns.

“At 26 years old, he is a no-risk, only reward investment.”

The Detroit Lions selected Paschal at No. 46 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He never met those Day 2 draft expectations, and he didn’t play in a game last season.

But there likely is very little risk, if any, for the Browns to add the 26-year-old to their offseason roster this summer.

Could Browns Target DE Josh Paschal in NFL Free Agency?

The Browns haven’t indicated they are shopping the edge rusher market. Cleveland added defensive end Benton Whitley to its roster a few days after trading Garrett.

But it would make sense for the Browns to at least be open to another edge rusher addition. After all, the team has to replace 23 sacks from last season.

Verse can’t do that alone. He had 7.5 sacks with 11 tackles for loss and 27 quarterback hits during the 2025 campaign.

Moeglin suggested bigger-named additions for Cleveland such as Joey Bosa or Leonard Floyd. But the possibility of Paschal can’t be discounted.

He wouldn’t come with the same upside, but he would demand a cheaper contract, lowering his risk.

Paschal has registered 12 tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits and five sacks in 36 NFL games. He posted five tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and two sacks in 14 games during 2024 for Detroit.

Paschal dealt with a back issue during 2024, which required surgery in 2025. He missed all of last season and became a free agent in March.

If he can prove he’s healthy this summer, rolling the dice on Paschal could be a worthwhile risk.

Browns DE Depth After Miles Garrett Trade

Verse and Whitley joined a group of nine edge rushers on the Browns roster this month. Verse will start likely opposite Alex Wright.

Of those nine, three are undrafted free agents — Logan Fano, Tyreak Sapp and Khordae Sydnor. Each one is a flier, pretty much as Paschal will be if the Browns added him too.

Cleveland also has defensive ends Isaiah McGuire, Julian Okwara and Adin Huntington on the roster.

The Browns concluded their offseason workouts on June 11 with mandatory minicamp. Cleveland will resume team activities at training camp in late July.