4 ‘cheap’ free agent cornerbacks the Cleveland Browns could target
By Josh Brown
The Cleveland Browns have between $17 million and $22 million in cap space, depending on which site you use. How will they use it?
The Cleveland Browns had health issues all year when it came to cornerbacks. In the NFL today, they may be the second most important position on defense. Depth at this position is crucial, and the Browns have some question marks heading into 2021 at the position.
Greedy Williams may the biggest one after missing the entire 2020 season with a nerve issue. Terrence “Money” Mitchell did a stable job in his absence but is a free agent. Kevin Johnson was signed last offseason to a one year deal and never really looked like the player he was in Buffalo the year before, but he did show some signs down the stretch. That leaves the Browns with Denzel Ward as the only lock of 2021 at the position.
There are a lot of free-agent cornerbacks out there, but money is always the key. So what kind of bargains could the Browns find to add some depth at one of the most important positions in the game.
4. Mike Hilton
Mike Hilton has had four strong seasons in Pittsburgh as the slot corner. He has shown the ability to play in both man and zone coverage and turns 27 in March. Young, versatile, and ripped from a rival team in your division. Sounds like the perfect storm. Andrew Berry and the front office should give him a call.
Hilton finished 2020 with seven passes defended, three interceptions, a forced fumble, eight tackles for loss, and three sacks. Hilton gave up a quarterback rating of 60.2 on 45 targets with just one touchdown per Pro Football Reference.
He did have a missed tackle rate of 17.7 percent in 2020, but it was under seven percent the two previous years. 2020 was likely the outlier when it comes to getting guys to the ground. The only knock against Hilton, if you want to call it that, is he is has been purely a slot corner for the Steelers. There would be questions about his ability to cover outside if he is forced to do so.
For Cleveland, this would give them a lockdown, versatile slot corner that can occasionally blitz at what could be a reasonable price(there is always one team that overpays somebody). The only concern is that the Browns starting corners have missed a total of 27 games in the last two seasons, and Hilton has not played outside very often. They would need to focus other assets on strengthening the depth on the outside should they sign Hilton.
Contract prediction: Three years, $13.5 million, $5-7 million guaranteed