Did the Cleveland Browns have the best free agency period in the NFL?

The Cleveland Browns had a tremendous 2019-2020 season and the roster is only improving. Cleveland made a handful of signings that addressed many of the remaining holes in the roster.

Their hats are still in the ring with big names to add to the roster, however, they may have already secured their spot as having the best free agency period in the entire NFL.

The first signing that the Browns made was for safety John Johnson. Johnson previously played for the Los Angeles Rams and was a part of one of the best defenses in the league. He signed for a three-year $33.75 million deal with $24 million guaranteed.

One of the most exciting things about this signing is that Johnson is only 25 years old and has already displayed endless potential. This will be a very telling year on if Johnson is a truly great player or if he just benefitted from the Rams system.

The second signing that Browns made was for Takk McKinley. He signed for a one-year $4 million deal. McKinley was the 26th overall pick of the 2017 draft to the Atlanta Falcons. He had an amazing first two seasons as a pass rusher. Combining for 13.0 sacks in rookie and sophomore seasons with the Falcons.

He has taken a substantial dip since then. In his previous two years, he has only had 4.5 sacks. Despite this, in his third year, he had a career-high in tackles with 29.

McKinley had a disappointing season in his final year with the Falcons in which he only participated in four games. It will be interesting to see if he will have a bounceback year with the Browns. Being only 25 years old, McKinley still has a lot of potential to be a great player for Cleveland.

The third move that the Browns made in free agency was to bring back Rashard Higgins. Higgins took a hometown discount and agreed to a one-year $2.38 million deal. This was an amazing signing and fans should be thrilled that Higgins is coming back.

He really stepped up when Odell Beckham, Jr. was sidelined with an injury. Higgins has shown that he is a very reliable target and one that Baker Mayfield can lean on. Sadly, he may not be seeing the field too much unless there is another injury at the wide receiver position.

Hopefully, Higgins will be able to get the snap count he deserves while the rest of the roster stays healthy this season.

The next signing that the Cleveland Browns made landed Troy Hill. He signed for a four-year $24 million deal. Hill is a veteran cornerback who has played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams.

Hill thrives when covering the slot and will bulk up the cornerback position for the Browns. The only gripe I have with this signing is the length of the deal. Hill is going to be 30 years old during the 2021 season.

This means that by the time his contract expires, he will be nearing 34 years of age. Playing a position like cornerback where speed is so important, this could be a signing that the Browns try to move on from near the tail end of the contract.

The final signing that the Browns made up to this point was a one-year $3.75 million deal for Malik Jackson. This is a very low-risk high-reward signing. Jackson will further improve an already talented defensive line.

He will be 31 this season and likely will not be taking the field every game. However, if there is an injury or a starter needs a breather, the Browns will be in good hands with Jackson on the field.

Along with this, he is a skilled veteran. If the Browns select a defensive lineman in the draft, they will have a plethora of mentors to help develop and teach them the ropes.