Cleveland Browns: Marcell Frazier could be a great find
By Randy Gurzi
The Cleveland Browns claimed former Missouri defensive end Marcell Frazier off waivers, and he could wind up making the 53-man roster
A busy offseason continued for the Cleveland Browns, who made a couple moves on Friday. The first move was to trade away cornerback Jamar Taylor, who most of us saw as a potential trade piece.
After picking up E.J. Gaines in free agency and Denzel Ward in the draft, Taylor was slipping down the depth chart. He’s now with the Arizona Cardinals, and in exchange the Browns have an extra sixth-round pick in 2020.
Later in the day they made another transaction as the Browns claimed undrafted rookie defensive end Marcell Frazier off waivers.
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Originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks following the 2018 NFL Draft, the Browns wisely jumped at the chance to add the former Second-Team All-SEC member to their roster.
At first glance this move seems like nothing to get excited about. The defensive end position is incredibly deep in Cleveland with Myles Garrett, Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib, Chad Thomas and Nate Orchard.
Even so, you can never have enough pass rushers, and that’s exactly what Frazier did at Missouri. In three seasons with the Tigers, Frazier had 17.5 sacks — with 15.5 coming over the past two.
Frazier isn’t a complete player by any means as his playing strength isn’t ideal for a three-down defensive end. What he can provide is a smooth pass rusher who has enough moves to keep offensive linemen working hard.
On top of that, he displayed a non-stop motor while at Missouri. He probably won’t be a star, but he’s the kind of rotational piece that good defensive lines need to have.
That makes him a good bet to make the final roster.
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He could even force the team to move on from Orchard, who is on the roster bubble anyway. If so, this move will look incredibly smart.