Cleveland Browns top-five free agent signings in franchise history

5. Pepper Johnson, Linebacker

Pepper Johnson played linebacker for Cleveland from 1993 to 1995. He played football at The Ohio State University so he was certainly welcomed to the Browns when he arrived via free agency in 1993.

In his three seasons in the brown and orange, he racked up 87, 122, and 130 tackles respectively. In his second season, he earned a Pro Bowl nod because of his tackle production, as well as his two forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Adding a Pro Bowler in free agency is a big move for a team, and when he can come in and still produce consistently, that is a huge win for the front office. Cleveland was fortunate enough to get that kind of player in Johnson. Had Johnson had a longer tenure with the Browns, he may have been higher on this list.

Despite his rather short stint, he still had three incredibly productive seasons. He may have stayed with the team for longer and continue to have had success, but of course the Browns were forced to move to Baltimore in 1996, thus ending his career in Cleveland. Johnson falls into one of the more productive players the Browns added in free agency, but could not have climbed higher because of only playing for a short time.