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Grant Delpit #9 of the Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are plowing through their second set of OTAs this week in Barea, and the two main areas of focus have been the quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, in which Watson is rumored to be the leader though coach Todd Monken has taken no firm stance, and the absence of Myles Garrett. Not that it is a shock Garrett would bypass the voluntary OTAs, but with a new coach on board and with Monken’s admission that he’s not even met Garrett, the situation with the team’s best player is weird, to say the least. But Garrett is not the only OTA absence–star defenders Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit were not there, either.

Ward has, at least, been around the team this offseason. Garrett, again, is a veteran who just likes working out on his own. But Delpit’s absence is a little harder to place–he is usually a vocal and enthusiastic leader, and with a new coach, a new defensive coordinator and a young group on hand, he would seem to be in his element at OTAs.

But the one thing he does not have that is potentially nudging him to sit out: a contract extension.

(UPDATE: Delpit attended Wednesday’s OTAs but did not practice and may still be keeping his options open.)

Grant Delpit Entering Final Year of His Browns Contract

Delpit is entering the final year of his three-year, $36 million contract with the Browns, one of the better safety contracts in the league when he signed it in 2023. He has been a reliable fixture in the Cleveland secondary, a starter in 68 of his 78 career games since he was a 2020 second-round draft pick. he may yet show up for OTAs, but his absence now is a concern.

We’re still a long way from Delpit holding out, of course. But there could be an issue if his contract is not addressed.

As longtime Browns reporter Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland noted on his “Daily Grossi” podcast, “I think it might be the first time Delpit has missed this much time, he’s got a contract, perhaps, issue. He is entering the last year of his contract. I would love to hear from those guys. We’ll see if they show up.”

Grant Delpit Hitting Free Agency

As the Browns SB Nation site Dawgs by Nature pointed out, both Delpit and safety Ronnie Hickman are free agents this summer. The drafting of Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the second round this year likely signals that the Browns won’t bring both back.

As Jared Mueller of the site noted: “Having both of last year’s starting safeties set to hit free agency could lead to an interesting decision for Berry as the season goes on. Does rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren show enough to solidify a starting spot quickly? Will the recent big contract for Derwin James lead to Delpit pricing himself off the Browns in the future?”

Indeed, James just received a massive three-year, $75 million contract from the Chargers, and perhaps Delpit wants a bump up and/or a longer term deal himself. He’s not on the same plane as James (Spotrac projects him with a market value of $36 million over four years) but no player really wants to go into free agency if it can be avoided.

Browns Need Their Leaders

And probably, in the end, Delpit will show up during the Browns offseason program, certainly for the mandatory minicamp. But his absence, alongside that of Ward and Garrett, does create a concern. If it’s not contract issues, maybe there is a sort of silent protest among the team’s top defenders over the way popular former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was let go this offseason.

We haven’t heard from them at OTAs, after all.

Said Grossi: “We know Denzel Ward is still connected to the team, he was at the ground-breaking ceremony. Delpit has been kind of out of sight and out of mind, and that’s kind of unlike him for this time of year. … The three main cogs of that defense, Garrett, Delpit and Ward, they each have their own reasons for missing and I don’t think you can throw a blanket over them and say they’re upset about something. We don’t know. I am surprised, it’s the first time he has missed.”