Cleveland Browns: 5 free agents to stay away from
By Thomas Moore
The Browns still need to do considerable work if they hope to build an offense that can be competitive on a weekly basis and keep pace with a Ray Horton-led defense that struggles to keep the opponent out of the end zone.
While much of the focus has been on the quarterback and wide receiver positions, the Browns may also have a problem at running back.
Rookie Duke Johnson was an asset in the passing game, but both he and second-year running back Isaiah Crowell struggled to effectively run the ball as they combined to average just 3.75 yards per carry. Take away Crowell’s career day against the San Francisco 49ers and his average for 2015 drops to 3.4 yards per carry.
Enter Doug Martin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who finished the 2015 season as the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 1,402 yards, while rushing for six touchdowns and 271 receiving yards.
Pretty good, right? Well, maybe not.
The first problem for any team that signs Martin is not knowing which running back you are actually getting. Will it be the one who rushed for a combined 2,856 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2012 and 2015? Or will it be the Martin who ran for just 950 yards and three touchdowns combined in 2013 and 2014?
The second issue is that Martin reportedly wants to “hit the jackpot” in free agency, with the $8 million per year that DeMarco Murray received from the Philadelphia Eagles as a possible starting point in contract talks.
That is a lot of money to pay a 27-year-old running back that has a 50 percent chance of putting up a less-than-average season.
Which makes it a bet that the Browns should not be willing to make.
Next: Linebacker James Laurinaitis