With organized team activities finally starting last week, some fans are wondering if the Cleveland Browns could still be in the free-agent market. While anything can happen with injuries in camp, it appears that Andrew Berry is confident in his current squad.
The one name that made a lot of sense to return was Sheldon Richardson, but after seeing him return to the Minnesota Vikings, it will likely be a couple of quiet months for the Browns in free agency.
However, as we have seen in the past, injuries can happen. Remember, Grant Delpit was injured in camp last year and missed the entire season. And if something similar happened again this year, the Browns could become active as there are still many starting-caliber players available.
Should a starting player go down, any of these five players could fit well on the Browns roster.
No. 5 – Adrian Clayborn, Defensive End
The Browns are currently in a good position at the defensive end position with Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, and Takk McKinley, but it also a position you can never have enough guys at.
At this moment, you could see a guy like Porter Gustin actually get cut from the roster, but if one of the guys mentioned above would face any type of injury in camp, a guy like Adrian Clayborn could make a ton of sense.
Clayborn was with the Browns in 2020 and was effective off the bench. He had 3.5 sacks and brought great energy at times when the defense really needed it. Clayborn isn’t a necessity to the roster now but could be a great fit if the staff had questions about the position before the season.
No. 4 – Kenny Stills, Wide Receiver
Wide Receiver is and will continue to be a huge question mark for this team. The depth chart currently has five or six players with starting experience, but one of those guys is coming off a serious injury and the others have failed to show consistency at times.
Should Odell Beckham have a setback or a guy like Jarvis Landry or Rashard Higgins have an injury before the season, Kenny Stills could be a nice fit to bring in.
Stills has eight years of experience in the league and has been extremely effective at times. Stills has two seasons where he had over 800 receiving yards and three seasons where he had six or more touchdowns.
Stills has decent size at 6-foot-1, 202 pounds, but he also has the speed to stretch the field when needed. At age 29, Stills has a few years of production left and could come at a nice discount this late into the offseason.
Remember, the biggest missing piece last year with Beckham out was a downfield target. Donovan Peoples-Jones did show glimpses of filling that role, but Still could be an even better fit. A move like this would likely lead to the release of a tenured player that would be sad to see go.
No. 3 – Geno Atkins, Defensive Tackle
At this point, it’s safe to say that defensive tackle is likely the weakest position on the Cleveland Browns roster. Truthfully, it’s not that weak, but so many other positions are completely loaded for the 2021 season.
Currently, it looks like Jordan Elliott and Andrew Billings will be the starters, with Malik Jackson and Tommy Togiai as the backups. An undrafted guy like Marvin Wilson could surprise a few people, but nothing looks imminent at this moment.
It’s not that the Browns lack depth at the position, they just lack one guy with elite talent. Elliott and Togiai are both young, Jackson is past his prime, and Billings appears to have come to camp out of shape after missing the 2020 season.
Another guy that is out of his prime but could still make an instant impact is Geno Atkins. After spending 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Atkins is coming off an injury and his worst season as a pro.
That’s a concern, but remember, the Browns wouldn’t need him to play 80 percent of the defensive snaps. It could be a great fit where they get tremendous production on 50 percent of the defensive snaps, and then get the younger guys some experience.
Atkins still could be available because the price is too high, but if he remains on the market the Browns should consider it. I think he has more talent than a guy like Jackson and brings the same type of leadership to the locker room.
No. 2 – Malik Hooker, Safety
The Cleveland Browns were decimated with injuries in 2020, but specifically in the secondary. At the safety position alone, Grant Delpit didn’t play a snap, Ronnie Harrison only played in 11 games, and Andrew Sendejo missed two games (he was also playing horribly when he started).
2021 should be different. The Browns added John Johnson, Delpit is healthy, and the they drafted Richard LeCounte in the fifth round.
However, LeCounte is coming off a serious injury, and the next backup is Sheldrick Redwine who has been extremely inconsistent in his time with the Browns. I don’t even see Redwine making the roster.
Safety is such an important position in the league, and therefore I think they should consider singing a guy like Malik Hooker as a backup. Hooker has starting experience in the NFL but has struggled after a breakout season at Ohio State which led him to be the No. 15 pick in the 2017 draft.
Johnson, Delpit, and Harrison would be your starters in the 4-2-5 defense but having a guy like Hooker to play backup and fill in for injuries would be a huge asset for this roster. Not to mention that the change of scenery would also be great for Hooker after four disappointing seasons with the Colts.
No. 1 – Steven Nelson, Cornerback
As I mentioned above, the secondary was killed with injuries last year for the Cleveland Browns, but cornerback may have been worst than safety. Greedy Williams didn’t play a snap, Denzel Ward missed four games, and nickel Kevin Johnson missed three games.
In the passing league of the NFL, it is tough to have your second and third corners on the field and have an effective game plan on defense.
Things will be different in 2021 with Williams getting healthy, the drafting of Greg Newsome, and the addition of Troy Hill, but I’m not sure that’s enough. With the injury history of Ward and Williams, the Browns may need an extra layer of security.
A guy like Steven Nelson could make a ton of sense as an insurance policy. Nelson has a ton of starting experience and has been a productive corner in the NFL. And while the Browns couldn’t guarantee him a ton of playing time, we all know something will happen that will allow him to see the field.
The big question before pulling the trigger on something like this, how healthy with Williams? Only Berry and Kevin Stefanski know the answer to this, but if there are any doubts, having a great backup option at corner becomes a necessity.
Remember, Newsome was great in college, but he has yet to even play a snap in the NFL. We can’t just assume he is going to live up to high expectations.