The Cleveland Browns have many free agents hitting the market. While they can’t re-sign them all these four players need to be brought back
Is it the money? Is it the team’s success? Is it the comfort of playing on a team that you are familiar with? There are several Cleveland Browns players from this past season who are entering free agency this offseason. Which questions are important to each one of them?
There are currently 11 unrestricted free agents, and they could all leave and go play for another team next season. General manager Andrew Berry and his counterparts will have to make some tough choices and determine who to focus their attention on and try to resign.
Several players came to “The Land” as free agents a year ago as Berry and his colleagues did a nice job of finding players via the open market. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, linebacker Anthony Walker, and Malik Jackson all came here on one-year contracts. Can the team keep all of these players and the others like safety Ronnie Harrison and tight end David Njoku too?
Let’s look a little deeper at four players that the Browns really should try and focus on and get a new deal done this spring.
Cleveland Browns Free Agent No. 1 to resign: David Njoku
For the past two seasons, much has been made of the fact that the Browns have had three pretty reliable tight ends, Harrison Bryant, Austin Hooper, and David Njoku that could all produce on the field. Each has had their moments.
This season Njoku had his second-best statistical season overall. He caught 36 passes for 475 yards including four touchdowns. That yardage was more than any wide receiver on the team this year.
Recently, he met with local media and shared his desire to return to Cleveland as Camryn Justice, a news reporter for WEWS shared:
#Browns David Njoku said his agents are still talking with the organization about a return: "I love it here. I love it here to the core. I want to be here for the rest of my career."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) January 10, 2022
Njoku made $6 million this past season and he will be expecting much more next year. The problem for the Browns is that they would owe Hooper a base salary of $9.5 million. That would seem to be an easy decision for the team on keeping Hooper and parting ways with Njoku.
However, the Hooper contract is a bit complicated. If the team were to release or trade Hooper after June 1st then the team would save that $9.5 million in cap space.
It’ll be interesting to see where the team lands on this part of the team. Bryant is the youngest and cheapest player in this group and has produced two very consistent seasons. He finished with 21 receptions for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll earn just over $1 million next season.
Parting with Hooper and saving some funds by trading or releasing him might be a good place for the team to alter their available monies. They could stick with Njoku and Bryant and potentially draft another tight end in April.
Cleveland Browns Free Agent No. 2 to resign: Jadeveon Clowney
The $7 million man and former 2014 No.1 draft pick had a great season in Cleveland this past year. Clowney recorded nine sacks and seemed to really enjoy his time with the Browns.
He was the bookend on the defensive line opposite Myles Garrett, who had his best season as a pro. The connection between the two made for a very competitive weekly challenge of who would have a better game and try to get to the opposing quarterback and record a sack.
Clowney discussed his relationship with Garrett and also his time with the Browns to this point in a recent interview with the media as reported by Camryn Justice, a reporter for WEWS news.
#Browns Jadeveon Clowney said he thinks it the competitiveness between Myles Garrett and himself has really made their connection work well, always trying to get to the quarterback faster than the other.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) January 9, 2022
"Hope we can keep that going."
Can Cleveland afford to give a bigger contract to the defensive end? He’ll certainly want more than the $7 million he received this past season. The Browns general manager has been creative in the past when giving other players new contracts. Hopefully, he can come up with a unique proposal that will have Clowney being drawn back to the team and a group he already says he feels comfortable with.
The fact that both Clowney and Garrett had some of their best career numbers this season would be a big point of emphasis for the front office while negotiating a new deal. Let’s hope Berry and his team can try and make a new offer something Clowney couldn’t refuse.
Cleveland Browns Free Agent No. 3 to resign: Anthony Walker
The former Indianapolis Colt linebacker came to Cleveland last year and much was made of his leadership and knowledge at the position. His $3 million contract was filled with incentives to get him to that mark. He had a respectable season with the Browns but not one that will be remembered as his best.
Building the defense into what they looked like at the close of the season was why the team brought Walker to town. They finished in the top half of most rankings defensively, from fewest rushing yards allowed to least number of yards given up overall.
The linebacker certainly was praised by the younger players as someone they could go to get help and learn the game and learn how to be a better professional. Those types of attributes can’t be found in all free agent talent. The Browns got a good player in Walker who helped in that area a lot. Are they willing to give him a better deal this offseason? Will his leadership role play a part in deciding to keep him in Cleveland or not?
In 2022, the linebacker free agency market is deep, and many players will be on the move. There are going to be expensive options such as Haason Reddick from the Carolina Panthers and Von Miller, from the Los Angeles Rams. Then there are the less pricey players, like Ezekiel Turner, from the Arizona Cardinals and Jon Bostic from the Washington Football Team.
Whatever, the team decides, keeping Walker should be one of their priorities. Giving him another year or two in this Browns defense will only get better. Does Walker want to stay? That’s the other big question. He’ll demand more and based on the open market will get paid more.
Cleveland Browns Free Agent No. 4 to resign: M.J Stewart
He’s listed as a cornerback on the defense, but M.J. Stewart has played a variety of positions on the team. He has filled in nicely whenever his name has been called. He stepped at the safety position in the last couple of games. It started when the team played the Las Vegas Raiders and he had 11 tackles including a forced fumble. He followed that game up in the Green Bay game where he had 10 tackles.
He’s played on special teams over the past two seasons. He produced his best campaign statistically. So, he’s a very versatile player and the Browns would be foolish to let Stewart get away. He got paid a bit over $1.1 million this past year. He’ll want much more than that and Cleveland needs to pay him.
The Browns will be bringing back safety John Johnson and cornerback Troy Hill, the two free agents the team brought in last season. Safety Ronnie Harrison is a free agent. Does the team prefer to try and keep him or Stewart?
Harrison’s contract was a bit over $2 million this past year. Both players are very similar statistically. While Harrison had 58 tackles and one interception, Stewart had 46 tackles this year. He had two interceptions last year.
Stewart’s versatility though could be key in the decision on who to keep. With Cleveland cornerbacks such as Greedy Williams, Denzel Ward, and Greg Newsome II having experienced injuries in the past, having a player of Stewart’s talents would be a bigger selling point to keep him next season.