Cleveland Browns: Top 5 remaining free agent targets

The Cleveland Browns have had a successful free agency period thus far, but they aren’t done yet

General manager Andrew Berry has made it his priority to give defensive coordinator Joe Woods the horses he needs to run his defensive properly.

The additions of John Johnson III, Troy Hill, Anthony Walker Jr., and Malik Jackson will all provide upgrades over what Woods had to work with in 2020, but there is still work to be done. Here are five top targets that would shore up the Cleveland Browns defense even further.

5. DT Mike Pennel

Mike Pennel has played in the last two Super Bowls and has been one of the league’s better run defenders for a while now, though he’s not really been a full-time starter. That’s perfectly fine, however; the Browns have their starting one-tech in Andrew Billings.

What they need is a backup run stuffer who can eat up space. Perhaps the team views second-year player Jordan Elliott as the guy to fill that role, but it would be preferable to have a proven veteran in that spot. Pennel shouldn’t cost much, as he made under $1 million last season, and yes, the Browns do have a similar Super Bowl chance to offer potential free agents that the Kansas City Chiefs do.

The question is whether or not the team will want to roster five interior defensive lineman. It’s already likely that they will carry only five linebackers in favor of an extra defensive back, but perhaps they’d be willing to drop another in favor of another defensive tackle. They’d need to find a suitable special teamer from the plethora of defensive backs, but on defense, Pennel would make a much larger impact than a fifth linebacker.