After re-singing Jadeveon Clowney, the holes on the Cleveland Browns roster continue to shrink. These 3 veteran free agents still make sense.
The Cleveland Browns made headlines again on Sunday afternoon as the team finally inked a deal with a standout pass rusher, Jadeveon Clowney.
This was a deal that many expected to happen for the last few weeks, but every day that passed many began to wonder if it would ever happen.
The good news for the Browns, they retained Clowney on a one-year deal worth up to $11 million for next season, and there were multiple reports that he had offers in the $14-15 million per year range.
It’s great to get a hometown discount, but this just shows that Clowney understands the situation. Not only can he win in Cleveland, but he also is paired with Myles Garrett who is one of the most dominant pass-rushing ends in the league. This means that Clowney will see far more single-team blocks with the Browns, than any other team he may have joined.
The bad news, is I’m not in love with the contract structure for Clowney, the details aren’t final, but it appears there will be four void years of the contract which just means guaranteed dead money (and they already have $3 million in dead money this season from Clowney’s deal a year ago).
Andrew Berry is far smarter than me, but this is becoming a bit of a habit of just kicking the can down the road on salaries. Additionally, I think the front office would have loved to get a multi-year deal done to keep Clowney in brown and orange.
Either way, the Browns defensive end room went from lackluster to loaded in just one singing. Garrett and Clowney are arguably the best starting tandem in the league with Chase Winovich and a few young guys as excellent options for the rotation.
The holes are starting to fill quickly, but with these last few additional, the Browns roster will be stacked.
Cleveland Browns Free Agent to Sign No. 3 – Kyle Rudolph, Tight End
The Cleveland Browns have added a ton of depth at multiple positions this offseason but have yet to address the tight end position. After the post-June 1 release of Austin Hooper, the Browns aren’t left with a ton of depth with just David Njoku and Harrison Bryant on the roster.
Remember, Kevin Stefanski utilizes the three tight end set more than anyone in the NFL last year. But, with a new quarterback in town, will that hold true?
Either way, I think the addition of Kyle Rudolph makes a ton of sense. Number one, he has a history with Stefanski in Minnesota and can be a veteran presence in the locker room.
Two, Rudolph is known for his in-line blocking which both Njoku and Bryant lack (to an extent). And last but not least, Rudolph would likely come at an extremely affordable price this late in the game. There isn’t a lot of excitement about singing him, so a veteran minimum deal could be possible.
The only downside to this is a veteran with the ability to fill a void only in the short-term taking up a roster spot. There are a couple of younger guys on the roster to fill the third tight-end spot, but no one who really has a ton of excitement around them. This move just makes sense for everyone.
Cleveland Browns Free Agent to Sign No. 2 – Ndamukong Suh, Defensive Tackle
A move I have been talking about for the Cleveland Browns in the last few weeks that is starting to get traction is the addition of defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh. This is a guy who was the former No. 2 overall pick, but it was way back in 2010.
Suh has been extremely productive, even in his last three seasons with Tampa Bay. He has 14.5 sacks, 112 tackles, and two defensive touchdowns in the last three seasons. What’s even more important for me, he has missed two starts in his entire career. So not only is he a good player on the field, but his availability is also unreal.
There are certainly some question marks that come along with Suh. He’s a fierce competitor and has a history of dirty plays and personal foul penalties that can be demoralizing for a team. A team must be careful to not accumulate too many of these guys on one roster, but I think the Browns locker room can absorb it at the moment.
If Suh isn’t looking for a huge deal and is willing to sign a one-year agreement, he can solve a lot of problems on the interior line for the Browns. Not only is he a dominant run stuffer, but he can also collapse the pocket and rush the passer.
The Browns currently have five guys (not including Suh) who could see snaps in 2022, but unfortunately, none of them have really proven anything yet. The only downside of this signing would be it may require moving on from a guy like Sheldon Day, Jordan Elliott, or Tommy Togiai who have all showed promise at times.
Cleveland Browns Free Agent to Sign No. 1 – Will Fuller, Wide Receiver
The Cleveland Browns can’t make the same mistake they did in 2022.
They put too much trust in their young receivers, and they constantly performed below expectations. With the free-agent market not as strong at this position (unless you want an aging receiver), I still see Will Fuller as the best bet.
Not only does he have ties to Deshaun Watson, but he could also come in and easily win the second or third wide receiver position on the team. When it came to Rashard Higgins and Baker Mayfield, everyone wanted to talk about chemistry, so it’s only fair to give Watson and Fuller the same benefit.
At this point, the only thing holding up a deal is compensation. Fuller wants to be compensated for the 2020 season stats he had with Watson, and Berry wants to pay him like a receiver who has only played more than 11 games in a season one time.
Signing Fuller would be another extremely short-term fix for the Browns, but if he can stay healthy for a year, he can take this offense to the next level. Not only does he have the speed to stretch a defense, but he also has great length for fades in the red zone.
I think everyone wants to see this deal get done, it’s just a matter of when.