NFL Free Agency: Joshua Dobbs signs one-year contract with Cleveland Browns

Quarterback Joshua Dobbs has signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Browns, according to reports. It will be the second stint in Cleveland for the Tennessee product, who also signed with the Browns prior to the 2022 season.

The Browns later waived Dobbs following the return of Deshaun Watson from suspension. He later joined the Tennessee Titans, starting their final two games and throwing for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

A former fourth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Dobbs has seen limited action across his pro career. He spent the first two seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and later made stops in Jacksonville and Detroit.

Dobbs spent four seasons with the Volunteers from 2013-16, including the final two seasons as starter. He led Tennessee to an 18-8 record and two bowl wins in those last two years, throwing for 5,327 yards, 42 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.