Cleveland Browns: 5 ways to become contenders in 2019
By Randy Gurzi
Sign Grady Jarrett, DT, Atlanta Falcons
With their huge amount of cap space to work with, the Cleveland Browns could make a big splash. With the presence of Baker Mayfield on offense, they could suddenly be a free agent destination — because everyone likes winning.
That means this is the year to shoot for the stars and try to land a big fish, like Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Jarrett has become an absolute stud on the Falcons line and finds himself ranked as the No. 6 defensive tackle in the game according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
He’s as effective against the run as he is the pass and is set for a huge payday. The Falcons could end up franchise tagging him, but they do have other players to consider and a lot less cap space to play with than the Browns do.
If Jarrett does get franchised, other options could include Sheldon Richardson from Minnesota and Malcom Brown from the New England Patriots — and the Browns need to make a run for someone who can make a difference next to Larry Ogunjobi. If he does hit the open market though, Cleveland needs to come calling.
For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.