Cleveland Browns sign Brenden Bates

The Browns' one-year, $1.075M deal for Brenden Bates earns a C+ CVI — a fair market signing that neither moves the needle significantly nor represents poor value. At just over the league minimum, this is essentially a low-risk roster move for a player whose position designation remains unclear, suggesting he's either a developmental prospect or special teams contributor fighting for a spot. The single-year structure provides Cleveland maximum flexibility while giving Bates a chance to prove his worth without any long-term commitment from the organization. With no guaranteed money details available, this appears to be a standard prove-it contract that allows the Browns to evaluate talent without meaningful financial exposure. The modest AAV suggests they view Bates as depth or practice squad material rather than an immediate contributor, making this the type of unremarkable but sensible roster construction move that competent front offices execute routinely. This signing likely represents organizational due diligence on a fringe player rather than any strategic investment in future production.