What can the Cleveland Browns do with their new cap situation?
The Cleveland Browns recently restructured the contract of Olivier Vernon.
The Cleveland Browns made news as they restructured the contract of edge rusher Olivier Vernon and basically took themselves out of the running for prize free agent Jadeveon Clowney.
It was reported that the Browns put in several offers for the from Seattle Seahawks standout but with the restructuring of Vernon’s contract it seems like Cleveland has moved on.
The new deal converted Vernon’s $15 million non-guaranteed contract into $11 million of guaranteed money in the form of $3.75 million base salary and a $7 million signing bonus.
They could still strike a deal with Clowney but it would be for much less than what they originally offered him.
Now it’s time for Cleveland to look at other options to strengthen their defense and there are some pretty notable free agents still available.
It was reported they were no longer interested in edge rusher Everson Griffen, but that was before they restructured Vernon’s deal. They should re-visit that, as Griffen can have a major impact on the run and pass if the Browns brought him in on a one-year deal.
Clay Matthews and Markus Golden are other free agents who can add to the pass rush. The Browns did sign Adrian Clayborn, who had four sacks in 2019 with the Atlanta Falcons in limited duty. But arguably the weakest position on the depth chart is linebacker.
The only returning starter is Mack Wilson and he was decent last season but he has a lot of areas he needs to improve in, including stopping the run. They signed B.J. Goodson and drafted Jacob Phillips out of LSU.
There is no alpha dog in the linebacker room because none of them have had a lot of success in the NFL aside from Wilson, who was second on the team with 81 tackles last season.
Insert Nigel Bradham, an eight-year veteran and a Super Bowl Champion. He would be the starter at middle linebacker from his first day and would bring great leadership to this group of young players.
It also would not cost them very much because getting closer to the start of training camp, most players would like to sign before the start of the season, even if they skip the preseason.
There are other veterans available at positions of need like Reshad Jones at safety or Damon “Snacks” Harrison on the interior of the defensive line. Both players are past their prime but can still add value in certain situations.
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Most of the roster is set but one of these additions on defense could make this one of the best rosters on paper.