4 Free agent linebackers the Cleveland Browns need to consider this offseason
By Greg Newland
Lavonte David:
Perhaps the dream come true for many in Cleveland would be if Berry were able to bring in Lavonte David. While this may be a bit of a long shot, he is exactly what this team needs to bolster the entire defense.
The Browns have two things working against them here. One, David has been in Tampa his entire career since being drafted by the Bucs in 2012. Two, David shined in the 2020 playoffs making play after play on national television which has driven his stock through the roof. At 31 years of age, David is set to get over $15 million per season, and I’m not convinced the Browns will want to spend that type of money.
David brings everything you need to the table. He has the toughness to stop the interior run game and has the speed to get outside the numbers on sweeps and outside zone plays. Not to mention he continues to prove he can be dominant in man to man coverage with tight ends and running backs coming out of the backfield.
The biggest thing David would bring to the Browns…Leadership. Goodson did his best at bringing that, but when your vocal leader is also the best player on the field (maybe second best with Garrett), he can raise the level of play from everyone around him. When Tom Brady was in his prime in New England, this was called the Tom Brady effect, or the LeBron effect while he was in Cleveland with absolutely no one around him.
Next. Schottenheimer greatest Browns coach of our generation. dark
The Bucs have a lot of questions that need to be answered as far as the salary cap in 2021 and it appears unlikely, they can keep both Shaquil Barrett and David. Because of age and the importance of pass-rush in the NFL, David could be one of the most coveted free agents in 2021. Browns fans would wake up smiling if Berry were to figure out a way to get him to Cleveland.