The Cleveland Browns will have an opportunity to search the free agency market of cornerbacks in hopes of building some depth at that position
One of the highlights of the Cleveland Browns recent season was their win against the Cincinnati Bengals back in November. In that game, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was seemingly going down the field with his offense and they were ready to score the first touchdown on the day.
However, Cleveland cornerback Denzel Ward made a perfect play defensively and jumped in front of Cincinnati’s star receiver Ja’Marr Chase and went 99 yards the other way for the pick-six. From there, the Browns rolled on and beat the Bengals soundly that day.
Ward’s stunning pick was a great example of how cornerbacks can influence a game. This offseason the Browns have an opportunity to look around the league through free agency and also in the upcoming draft to try and bolster the cornerback room as it sits now in Berea.
They have corners Greedy Williams, A.J. Green, and Greg Newsome II all returning. Ward is also due to be back and will be getting paid $13 million in this fifth year of his rookie contract. There have been talks between the Browns and Ward on a new contract extension in the past. That conversation could continue this offseason, but it’s not a done deal yet. Stay tuned.
M.J. Stewart, another cornerback for the team, is a free agent and could be looking for a bigger deal than the Browns are willing to give him on his next contract.
There’s a huge number of free-agent cornerbacks available this spring and the Browns will likely be in the market looking for a good deal. There are many higher-priced corners, with many more years of experience out there this offseason, including Stephon Gilmore, Patrick Peterson, Joe Haden, and Kyle Fuller. However, the Browns would likely be looking at more reasonably priced free agents.
Having Newsome II and Ward likely locked in as the starters going into next season, the Browns would be looking for depth at the position. Do they concentrate on finding that talent from the large pool of players available in the market or do they settle on drafting a few backs from the college ranks?
Cleveland has been signing players in previous years from free agency, usually coming off of initial deals with other teams. With that in mind, we’re going to showcase several cornerbacks the team should consider and try and sign. Some are coming off of those rookie deals and others are still young but may have had a contract or two already.
Cleveland Browns cornerback target: Donte Jackson
Donte Jackson most recently played for the Carolina Panthers after being drafted by them back in 2018. He was a second-round pick out of LSU. He’s had a relatively healthy and very solid four years as primarily a starter for the team.
He collected 209 tackles over the four seasons, including 74 tackles his rookie year and 61 tackles this past year. What’s even more impressive is his consistency in finding the ball and takeaways. He’s had 12 picks overall, including two this last season. He also has forced two fumbles over his time in Carolina.
His rookie deal paid him around $2.4 million this past year and he’ll be looking for a bigger deal with his next team. The benefit of targeting a player of Jackson’s skill set is that he’s younger and more affordable to a team like Cleveland and he’s only 26 years old.
The Browns may have their starters locked up for next year, but Ward, Newsome II, and Williams have all had injury issues throughout their careers. Having a solid player like Jackson sign with the team could be a way for them to strengthen an area that’s already good and provide a safety net for the group. Williams and Jackson also played together down at LSU, so that could potentially be an attractive option to Jackson.
Cleveland Browns cornerback target: Tre Herndon
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the midst of some wholesale changes again this offseason and a cornerback such as Tre Herdon might be a player that could do well with the Browns, especially in a backup role with the team. He went undrafted back in 2018 out of Vanderbilt but has had a couple of very productive seasons with the Jags.
This past year, he suffered a sprained MCL in the preseason and was out to start the season and never got back to his best years in 2019 and 2020. In those seasons he recorded 55 and 76 tackles respectably. He also had three interceptions in 2019.
He was on a one-year, $2 million deal with Jacksonville but with his production being way down this past season, the Browns could get Herndon on a pretty reasonable contract. He’s also only going to be 26 years old next season. He’s shown he’s had productive seasons in the past and if one of the Browns corners goes down, Herndon would be a very good replacement.
Cleveland Browns cornerback target: Bobby McCain
The former Washington Huskie was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2015. He’s a bit older than some of the other corners in free agency as he’s 28 years old. He played for The Washington Football Team this past year on a $1.4 million deal.
He’s had a solid career and has been both a starter and bench player. His best seasons were in 2018 when he recorded 61 tackles and had one interception, and this past season with Washington when a registered 63 tackles and had four interceptions, including a pick-six.
The steady play of McCain is something to take note of if you’re a team like Cleveland looking for a slightly more experienced player that would be a consistent player regardless of if they were starting or coming in as a substitute. The contract price too would be reasonable, and the Browns could hopefully negotiate a team-friendly deal with McCain.
Cleveland Browns cornerback target: Charvarius Ward
Charvarius Ward currently plays cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs, so you might keep an eye on him this Sunday in the AFC Championship Game as he’s been a regular starter for the Chiefs.
This target by the Browns could be a stretch but it would be worth looking into for a Cleveland team looking to continue to contend and get back to the playoffs. Ward was paid $3.3 this past season so he’ll be expecting more on his next deal.
He did go undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State in 2018 but then signed with the Dallas Cowboys. From there, he was traded to the Chiefs before that season started. Ward has now started for Kansas City the last three seasons. Would he even want to leave a team like the Chiefs, who are constantly challenging for a Super Bowl?
That’s hard to determine at the moment, but his career has been a good one by the numbers. He’s collected 222 tackles, including 67 this past season, to go along with four career interceptions and he’s only 25 years old. If Denzel Ward were to not get a new deal done with the Browns, then a player like Charvarius Ward would be a suitable starter in his place.
Cleveland Browns cornerback target: Sidney Jones
Sidney Jones has moved around the league a bit to this point. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. The former Washington Husky, who’s only 25 years old moved over to the Seattle Seahawks this past offseason, signing a $1.75 million contract. He again is a free agent. He had a good season in Seattle, recording a career-best 66 tackles. He was a starter with the Seahawks this past year.
The news out of Seattle suggests that the Seahawks would be interested in keeping Jones there especially with his next contract not expected to break the bank and his production was pretty decent this last season.
A few other free agent cornerback options for the Cleveland Browns
The list of available free agent cornerbacks is very lengthy. There are some very expensive options as was mentioned earlier like Patrick Peterson and Kyle Fuller, while there are many cheaper avenues for teams to look at. Justin Coleman, of the Minnesota Vikings, P.J. Williams of the New Orleans Saints, and Isaiah Oliver of the Atlanta Falcons are all free this spring and they won’t be too expensive to sign to new deals.
Then you have a player like Eli Apple, who’s had a resurgence season with the Cincinnati Bengals this year. The former Ohio State Buckeye was drafted by the New York Giants back in 2016 in the first round. He’s moved around the league in these last six years and has had injuries that have limited his time on the football field. Keep an eye on Apple this weekend as the Bengals play the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Finally, you have a player and starter from the Buffalo Bills, Levi Wallace who is on the market this offseason. He went undrafted out of Alabama in 2018 but has been with the Bills since and has been a starter with the team these last three years.
His contract was a friendly $1.75 million. He’s recorded 219 tackles and has made six interceptions to this point in his career. Wallace would certainly consider staying with the Bills and will want more money in his next deal but could a team like the Browns be able to offer him a bit more and give Wallace an opportunity with a new team?
The Browns have their own cornerback M.J. Stewart available too this offseason and the decision by Stewart and the Browns to pursue him and keep him in Cleveland will also be important to follow these next few months. Stewart hasn’t been a regular starter but has filled in at the corner spot and even as a safety in recent games to help the team out when his teammates were out with injuries.
Whatever route the Browns go, they need to make sure to secure players that will give them more depth moving forward. There were too many games this past year where the Cleveland secondary was being stretched and played into the team faltering in some games late in the season.