Cleveland Browns should consider signing Tahir Whitehead
The Las Vegas Raiders released veteran linebacker Tahir Whitehead on Monday as they continue to transition to their new home. This could be what the Cleveland Browns are looking for as Joe Schobert is set to test the free agent market.
There are a lot of players that haven’t lasted long in the new Jon Gruden era with the Raiders, as we have seen them get rid of Pro Bowlers like Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper. Gruden seems to have an idea of the kind of players he wants and he is determined to fill his roster with them.
Another veteran, 29-year-old Tahir Whitehead was released by the Raiders this week despite leading the team with 108 tackles last season. The move clears $6 million in cap space for the Raiders. Whitehead spent the last two seasons with the Raiders after playing six years for the Detroit Lions.
It was reported recently that the Cleveland Browns will let their starting middle linebacker Joe Schobert test free agency because they aren’t willing to meet his asking price of an annual salary over $10 million.
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Fans are divided on whether the team should pay him or not. Some fans think he deserves it because of what he’s done for the team and others feel that teams should only pay an elite linebacker that much. They also released veteran linebacker Christian Kirksey on Tuesday.
The Browns have made it clear they are not willing to pay that and if somebody else is willing to pay him that much that’s likely who he’ll sign with. That leaves Cleveland with a hole in the middle of their defense that was ranked 30th in run defense last year.
Whitehead seems to be the perfect candidate if they can’t land an elite linebacker like Cory Littleton. If they can’t land a top free agent linebacker, they will likely look to bring in a veteran on a cheap contract. Whitehead is an extremely productive run stopper and a hard hitter in the middle of the defense.
He has recorded more than 100 tackles each of the last four seasons with the Raiders and Lions, but had his lowest total since 2015 last season. He can also struggle in pass coverage because he lacks speed, but he doesn’t miss many tackles and will help shore up one of the worst run defenses in the NFL.
Next. What is next for the Browns at offensive tackle?. dark
It would be a slight downgrade from Schobert but it would save a couple of million dollars in cap space that Cleveland can use to help fill other holes on the roster, such as defensive tackle and safety. Whitehead is a name to keep an eye on as a reliable option for the Browns when free agency begins.