The Cleveland Browns should look no further than their AFC North rivals to fill some roster holes when free agency opens in March.
The Cleveland Browns enter the offseason with many needs and will look to free agency to fill some of them.
Free agency can be a good way to strengthen your team if you spend wisely, and can also present the opportunity to weaken a rival. The Browns have done this in the past, signing Paul Kruger away from the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.
The Browns have a little more than $17 million in estimated salary cap space right now, and while some of that will go toward resigning their own free agents, a group that includes right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, wide receiver Travis Benjamin and safety Tashaun Gipson, among others, there should be money left over to bring in some outside players to fill holes on the roster.
Here are three players the Browns should look to add in free agency this spring from their AFC North rivals.
Next: Wide receiver Marvin Jones
The Cincinnati Bengals have easily the most talent of any of the four AFC North teams that will see players hit free agency in 2016.
Aside from wide receiver Marvin Jones, they have the likes of Andre Smith, Reggie Nelson, George Iloka and Adam Jones as unrestricted free agents. Any of those players would be good signings, but the 25-year-old Jones is the one that many Browns fans feel could significantly help the team.
Whether or not Josh Gordon is involved with the Browns for the 2016 season, Jones would give the Browns some size at wide receivers, which is something they desperately missed last year. In addition, Jones has strong hands and is a good red zone receiver, as he can highpoint the ball and is adept at using his body to shield defenders. He rebounded from missing the 2014 season due to lower-leg injuries to finish this past season with 65 receptions for 815 yards and four touchdowns.
While the majority of the targets have rightly gone to A.J. Green in Cincinnati, Jones could be a 1,000-plus-yard receiver on the Browns. His prior knowledge of head coach Hue Jackson‘s offense is an added bonus.
Jones should be one of the top targets for the Browns when free agency opens in March.
Next: Defensive tackle Steve McLendon
Free agency provides an extremely useful opportunity for finding depth for your team and bringing in reasonably priced veterans to perform specific roles.
One of many mistakes that Ray Farmer made as general manager was failing to bring in quality depth on the interior defensive line, forcing the coaching staff to rely on rookie Danny Shelton to shoulder the burden. Shelton struggled and so did the Browns defense, especially against the run as the team finished 30th in the league against the run.
At age 30, defensive tackle Steve McLendon will be looking for a good contract, but a good contract for a true nose tackle is not going to be very expensive. The Steelers were fifth in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game in 2015 with 91.2, and although that total can be partly attributed to how awful the Steelers secondary was, opposing running backs had an average of 2.31 yards per carry when McLendon was on the field.
The Browns have struggled to contain the run since they returned in 1999. Adding McLendon would give them a stout presence, as well as creating a hole in Pittsburgh’s defensive line.
Next: Kicker Justin Tucker
Unlike the Bengals, the Baltimore Ravens do not have a lot of talent available as unrestricted free agents, with the top names being offensive tackle Kelechi Osemele, outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw and and kicker Justin Tucker.
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If the Ravens have to use the franchise tag to retain Osemele, then the Browns will definitely be able to talk to Tucker. The Browns had problems at kicker in 2016 and will be looking to strengthen this position. Despite his accuracy, Travis Coons lacks leg strength, which is one of the reasons why he had four field goals blocked in 2014 as he had to kick low to increase his distance.
At age 26, Tucker is one of the premier kickers in the NFL. He was fourth in touchbacks this past season with 63 – Coons had a paltry 27 – and was 29-of-30 on field goals under 50 yards. He is also 100 percent on extra points in his four-year career.
Tucker would not be a particularly exciting addition for Browns fans, but he would shore up the kicking position for a number of years and give the Browns somebody that they can rely on.