Daily Dawg Tags: Browns in the market for secondary help?

The Cleveland Browns may be looking for help in the secondary with the team reportedly keeping an eye on several free agents.

The Cleveland Browns have the capacity to be very active in free agency this year if they choose to go that route.

The club has more than $100 million in available cap space, according to spotrac.com, and could be in the market for a quarterback, running back, wide receiver or help on the defensive side of the ball in the secondary.

It is that last area where Chad Forbes of @NFLDraftBites believes that general manager John Dorsey will focus his attention come the Ides of March.

Forbes opines that the Browns will be focusing on cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson of the Los Angeles Rams, Malcolm Butler of the New England Patriots, Aaron Colvin of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rashaan Melvin of the Indianapolis Colts, and Kyle Fuller of the Chicago Bears; and safeties Tre Boston of the Los Angeles Chargers and Bradley McDougald of the Seattle Seahawks.

Cleveland Browns

At first blush there are some things to like about this list. Johnson is familiar with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams system from their time together with the Rams. Butler is a member of a winning organization in New England. Colvin was part of a Jaguars defense that was one of the league’s best.

But go a little deeper and you find out that the obvious choices may not be the best ones.

They are not the final say on a player, but Pro Football Focus is not kind to some of the names on the list when it comes to the season’s final grades.

Johnson was ranked the game’s No. 68 cornerback by the site, while Butler (No. 51) and Colvin (No. 47) were a bit better – but only when compared to Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor, who came in at No. 75 among cornerbacks.

The Browns need to be looking for players more in line with Briean Boddy-Calhoun (No. 21) and Jason McCourty (No. 27) if they want to make an addition to the secondary, which means that Melvin (No. 17) and Fuller (No. 23) might be names more worthy of keeping an eye on. (Browns fans will remember Melvin from his two interceptions against the team in Week 3 of last season.)

The same holds true for the two safeties on Forbes’ list, as Boston (No. 31) and McDougald (No. 48) are not necessarily upgrades over safety Derrick Kindred, who came in at No. 29.

The one advantage, however, is that Boston is a free safety, which means if the Browns were to bring him in they could switch Jabrill Peppers to strong safety, a position he better suited to play.

No one knows for sure what the Browns will do in free agency, obviously, but with a surplus of cap space that good news is that, if they choose, the resources will be there to make a few upgrades to the secondary.

Cleveland Browns news:

Can the Browns give Kirk Cousins what he truly desires?

The Cleveland Browns need a quarterback and Kirk Cousins will be available. But can the franchise give him what his heart most desires?

Time for the Browns and Isaiah Crowell to part ways

The Cleveland Browns only have one major free agent to deal with this offseason in running back Isaiah Crowell. Following a very disappointing 2017 season, Cleveland should not be looking to re-sign him.

Brian Hoyer shocked that Josh Gordon played while impaired (cleveland.com)

"Former Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer had no idea that Josh Gordon was playing under the influence after coming off suspension in 2014, but now that Gordon has admitted it, it explains a lot."

NFL news:

Teddy Bridgewater’s PUP stay may decide his contract fate (ESPN)

"According to Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, Teddy Bridgewater is “technically ready to become a free agent,” but there remains the prospect that the Vikings quarterback could have his contract tolled for next season, meaning he would play for the same $1.354 million he earned in 2017, because of the time he spent on the physically unable to perform list for the first six weeks of the season during the last year of his rookie contract."

Arthur Blank unhappy about Patriots Super Bowl rings (NFL.com)

"The following can be categorized under “NFL owner problems.” In a New York Times Magazine article detailing the 2017 NFL season, it was revealed that Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, whose team memorably blew a 28-3 lead to Robert Kraft’s New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, confronted Patriots owner Robert Kraft in August over his perceived insult-by-karat."

Rob Gronkowski ready for the Super Bowl (Boston Herald)

"The toughest part for Rob Gronkowski was not being able to tough it out."