Cleveland Browns: Top 5 remaining free agent targets

3. DT Danny Shelton

Danny Shelton is on this list for essentially the same reasons as Pennel. He’s a mammoth space-eater at 6-2 and 345 pounds, and while he offers little as a pass-rusher (which is why he was not worth the 12th overall selection that the Browns spent on him back in 2015), he’s still a very good run defender. He wouldn’t be on the field in situations where a pass is likely.

Again, the question is whether the Browns will be keeping only four defensive tackles. It’s already apparent that the defensive personnel will be vastly different next season, as in 2020, the focus was on improving the offense around Baker Mayfield, and just finding warm bodies for Woods to perform alchemy with.

Now, the front office is spending capital on defenders, and it’s obvious that Woods will be running even more nickel and dime than he did last season; his goal is to run a dime base, and that will require lots of quality defensive backs along with targeted skillsets on the defensive line. Right now, the Browns goal line defense would be very small.

That’s not as important as slowing down the opponent in between the 20’s, but it’s still something that needs to be planned for. Shelton would provide the size and run-stuffing that the tackle group currently lacks aside from Billings, who of course is not enough by himself.

Shelton was due to make about $4 million in 2021, so his next salary will naturally be lower than that.