Report: Cleveland Browns eyeing C.J. Mosley in free agency

The Cleveland Browns haven’t made any big moves yet in 2019 NFL Free Agency, but there are reports that they’re looking at making a play for linebacker C.J. Mosley

With the NFL opening up their absurd ‘legal tampering period’ on Monday, teams are starting to strike deals with free agents. So far, the Cleveland Browns have stayed relatively quiet, but that may not remain the case for long.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the front office is considering making a move for linebacker C.J. Mosley, who has played for the Baltimore Ravens for the past five seasons.

A former No. 14 overall pick out of Alabama, Mosely is one of the biggest names available and fills a position of need for the Browns. Not long before teams were able to negotiate with players, Cleveland parted ways with linebacker Jamie Collins which could open the door for this move to take place.

As for Mosley, he’s looking to break the bank after not coming to terms with the Ravens on an extension. The team also surprisingly avoided using the franchise tag on one of the better players on their defense.

The Alabama product is coming off his fourth season with at least 100 tackles and has 597 in his career. He’s also been credited with 8.5 sacks, 35 pass defenses, and six forced fumbles. Landing him would not only help Cleveland, but it would put a huge dent in Baltimore’s defense ‚— however, it won’t come cheap.

On Monday, Kwon Alexander, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was signed by the San Francisco 49ers to a contract worth $54 million over four seasons. That’s an average of $13.5 million per season for a player who isn’t considered the same level as Mosely.

Seeing that number for Alexander could set the price tag for the four-time Pro Bowler somewhere in the $16 million per season range. It would be expensive, but it could also vastly improve the defense.