The Cleveland Browns have decisions looming on several free agents. Who should stay and who should go among the eight unrestricted free agents?
As the 2015 NFL season came to a close on Jan. 3, 2016, the Cleveland Browns entered the offseason with many questions within the franchise.
Head coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer were dismissed by owner Jimmy Haslam, who then brought in Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta to help navigate the front office into the future.
Both Brown and DePodesta bring a Harvard background with a focus on analytics to the table, which is a different approach in a league that has been steadfast in the way it operates their franchises overall.
With that being said, the Browns have unrestricted free agents that they have to make decisions on. Will these guys be part of the franchise moving forward? Do the analytical breakdown of these players warrant a roster spot?
These are all questions that need to be made before March 12, the deadline for unrestricted free agents to negotiate with their current clubs. Starting on March 15 at 4 p.m., free agents can begin signing with news after a three-day negotiating period.
The Browns currently have eight unrestricted free agents who potentially could hit the open market in March: safety Tashaun Gipson, linebacker Craig Robertson, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, cornerback Johnson Bademosi, wide receiver Travis Benjamin, linebacker Tank Carder, safety Don Jones and wide receiver Terrelle Pryor.
As we take a look at each player, we will explain who should stay and who should go to help mold the Browns roster as they move forward in 2016 and beyond.
Next: Safety Tashaun Gipson
Tashaun Gipson: 25, 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, University of Wyoming, 4-year veteran
Gipson came into his own during the 2014 season by having his best year as a pro. He started 11 games for the Browns, recording six interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. His 2014 season was cut short due to a knee injury. Regardless, Gipson was elected to his first Pro Bowl that season and was looking to get an upgraded contract as well.
The Browns wanted to see more of Gipson and instead offered him a second-round tender offer to play 2015 and prove that he is still the same player he was in 2014. Gipson started 13 games this season and wasn’t able to replicate the 2014 season that put him on the map. He finished with just two interceptions and missed three games due to an ankle injury.
Knee injuries are tough to judge in a player’s first year back as some don’t really reach 100 percent until the following season. In the case of Gipson, he is a young, elite player at his position. The Browns lack young, elite players at many positions and can’t risk losing what could be there Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu in their secondary.
Gipson: STAY
Next: Linebacker Craig Robertson
Craig Robertson, 27, 6-foot-1, 234 pounds, North Texas, 4-year veteran
Robertson’s 2015 season was his worst statistically on record. After steadily improving his first three years in the league, Robertson’s production dropped off significantly in 2015 as he played in more of a situational role in defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil’s defense.
After recording 99 tackles in 2014, Robertson recorded only 58 tackles during the 2015 season. He also recorded no sacks during the season, but did have one interception and one fumble recovery for the Browns during the course of the year.
Robertson steadily evolved in his inside linebacker role with the Browns during the first three years. Could 2015 have been just a down year for the young linebacker? Maybe.
With that being said, it may be best for the Browns to move on from Robertson as he lacks speed to the outside, which contributed to his limited role within the defense during the 2015 season.
Robertson: GO
Next: Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz
Mitchell Schwartz, 26, 6-foot-5, 317 pounds, University of California, 4-year veteran
Schwartz is coming off his best year as a pro. He excelled during the 2015 season for a Browns offensive line that struggled throughout most of the campaign with injuries and inconsistent play from others around him. Through it all Schwartz prevailed, earning high marks from Pro Football Focus and even being named the top right tackle in the league in October of 2015.
Schwartz, who was once looked at as a liability on the offensive line, has steadily improved each year and is molding into a top-notch right tackle in this league. With the possible loss of center Alex Mack, who may exercise the opt-out clause in his contract and become a free agent, the Browns will need to retain Schwartz and focus on other aspects of the line that need improvement.
If Mack stays, then the offensive line could be set for the next four to five years.
Schwartz: STAY
Next: Cornerback Johnson Bademosi
Johnson Bademosi, 25, 6-foot, 200 pounds, Stanford University, 4-year veteran
Bademosi is not known for his cornerback skills, but during the 2015 season was the Browns special teams’ ace. Bademosi, who mostly plays on kickoff and punt coverages, excelled on the field and earned Pro Bowl honors for his play during the 2015 campaign.
Bademosi is similar to Benni Thompson, a special teams’ ace for the Browns in the early 1990s who wreaked havoc on kickoffs and punts. The Browns should be able to resign Bademosi without breaking the bank, and his return would only help solidify the special teams.
If he outprices himself to the Browns, then it’s best the team move forward without him. We’re banking that he resigns at a reasonable rate.
Bademosi: STAY
Next: Wide receiver Travis Benjamin
Travis Benjamin, 26, 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, University of Miami, 4-year veteran
Benjamin had a breakout season in 2015 for the Browns. A player that was on the bubble coming into training camp, Benjamin took the opportunity in his contract year and ran with it. He recorded 68 receptions for 966 yards and five touchdown receptions (and added a punt return for a touchdown), giving him his best season in four years in the league.
Benjamin also became the team’s No. 1 option as the season progressed and solidified himself as more than just a fast return specialist.
With the thought of Josh Gordon returning, Brian Hartline back from injury and Benjamin in the slot, the Browns could have a formidable receiving core in the making. Not to mention, Benjamin and Gordon both are young guys that could excel for years to come. The Browns need to get Benjamin under contract without breaking the bank. If he requests to be paid as a No. 1 receiver, then the team may have to look elsewhere.
Benjamin: STAY
Next: Linebacker Tank Carder
Tank Carder, 26, 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, TCU, 4-year veteran
Carder was viewed as a starting-caliber player by the former Browns coaching staff, but was never able to crack the starting lineup as he fought for playing time behind Karlos Dansby, Christian Kirksey and Craig Robertson. He was mostly regulated to special teams duty through his four years with the club.
Unable to stay healthy, Carder has done little to live up to the potential he showed when the team claimed him off waivers in 2012. It may be time for Carder to get a fresh start elsewhere in 2016 and for the Browns to move on.
Carder: GO
Next: Safety Don Jones
Don Jones, 25, 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, Arkansas State, 3-year veteran
Jones, who has bounced around, made his way to Cleveland after being waived by the Miami Dolphins for a second time. He saw very little action during the 2015 season for the Browns, contributing only six tackles in 14 games.
Jones is a roster spot filler. The Browns can find a ton of these down the line.
Jones: GO
Next: Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor, 26, 6-foot-4, 223 pounds, Ohio State, 4-year veteran
Pryor, a collegiate quarterback, made the transition to wide receiver for the 2015 season.
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Brought in during training camp, Pryor was plagued by a hamstring injury that prohibited him from getting on the field throughout the preseason. Because of this, he was never really able to grasp the offense and master the transition to wide receiver.
He was cut a few days before the Browns opened the season against the New York Jets, but was brought back late in the year and was on the active roster for three of the final four games of the season.
We just never saw enough of Pryor throughout the 2015 campaign. During the last four games he recorded one reception for 42 yards, which came against the Steelers in the season finale.
Pryor is a project at the wide receiver position, an area where the Browns are in need of quality players, but undertaking the Pryor project for the long term could just become another distraction.