Browns Free Agency: Buster Skrine Staying or Going?
By Paul Noel
The Cleveland Browns season is over. We will spend a good amount of time reviewing the season but we will spend even more time preparing for the off-season. Browns free agency seems destined to be an interesting one. The Browns spent a little bit of money last year with anticipating of building through the draft for long term success. The 2014 was expected to be another down year with high expectations towards the future.
Instead the 2014 started off strong and ended with a thud. Now the Browns are full of salary cap space, GM Ray Farmer and Head Coach Mike Pettine will need to evaluate their own top free agents to determine if they are going to offer them new contracts or let them walk .
Name
Position
Cornerback
Free Agency Status
Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA)
Stats
16 Games; 18 Passes Defended, 4 Intercepts, 55 Solo tackles, 12 Assisted tackles
Expiring Contract
4 years, $2.2 million, $202K Signing Bonus
2014 Free Agent Signing Comparison Contract
Alterraun Verner – Bucs – 4 years, $25.7 million
More from Dawg Pound Daily
- 3 Cleveland Browns players who don’t deserve another season in 2023
- How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
- Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
- 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
- Is Marcus Davenport on the Browns radar in 2023?
Prediction
CB Buster Skrine might be the Browns’ top target to retain this off-season. Skrine has become a respected starter playing opposite Pro Bowler Joe Haden the last two season, and rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert has struggled mightily this year which puts the Browns’ in the position to need him back. The Browns’ attempted to address the need at cornerback last off-season by also drafting rookie cornerback Pierre Desir in the fourth round. Desir shows great promise but was injured most of the season and is mostly an unproven commodity. Undrafted rookie K’Waun Williams has outplayed all the other rookie corners, but was primarily used as a nickel corner and was also hindered this season with injuries.
Skrine will be STAYING, the Browns’ will have to compete with other teams to resign the corner but with money to spend the Browns’ will lock him down likely to a 3 year deal. (Editor’s Thoughts – The Browns would love to lock Skrine up with a 3 year deal for reasonable money. If the bidding gets out of hand the Browns will go with what they have with the hope that Gilbert will shape up, Desir will continue to develop and Williams won’t have long term issues with concussions.)
What do you think the Browns do with Buster Skrine?
Connect with Dawg Pound Daily