2021 Free Agency: Cleveland Browns suddenly a destination team

The Cleveland Browns used to have to overpay free agents to lure them to town but 2021 free agency is showing us that they’ve become a destination team

This offseason has been one full of good moves for the Cleveland Browns as they have added two new secondary members in John Johnson III and Troy Hill as well as two new defensive linemen in Takkarist McKinley and Malik Jackson.

Cleveland also came to terms with linebacker Anthony Walker and convinced Malcolm Smith to stay with them despite the fact that he was given an offer elsewhere. Out of all those moves, one thing has really stood out — the Browns did not overpay for a single player.

In fact, they actually got solid deals for all the players with Johnson and Hill really coming in at less than they could have commanded. While Andrew Berry is being praised (as he should be) there’s another factor at play — Cleveland is suddenly a destination team.

If adding key free agents at affordable rates wasn’t enough proof of this, it could also be heard in the praises Johnson sang when asked about the organization. Johnson not only said they were building something special, but he also said the city and organization do things the right way and care about their players.

"“I felt like it was an opportunity of a lifetime, coming to a situation that things are moving in the right direction. That’s rare in this business,” Johnson said via Camryn Justice of News 5 Cleveland. “It’s rare that people care about you, people actually appreciate you and want to do things the right way. This city as a whole, let alone the organization, it just drips that.”"

Johnson’s words ring true when it comes to the fans. We all know how passionate the Dawg Pound is, and how they come to the defense of their players at the drop of a hat. They’ve also stayed loyal despite years of turmoil.

However, Johnson also points to the organization when speaking about how they care for their players — and that’s also incredibly true. Dee and Jimmy Haslam have been criticized in the past for some of their shortcomings but the honest truth is, they care deeply for their team and players.

This was evident when Dee was seen supporting Myles Garrett during his suspension in 2019. Rather than distancing herself from the situation, she made it known that she and her husband had No. 95’s back — and that surely did not go unnoticed in the locker room.

That’s just one example of how the organization cares about its players and there’s surely more that goes on behind the scenes that we aren’t privy to.

While those of us who follow the team aren’t shocked by this, it’s good to see the recognition from players who are new to the organization. It’s even better to see that top-tier free agents are finding the prospect of joining the Browns as an “opportunity of a lifetime.”

Cleveland is a destination city and that means things are only going to get better from here on out.