3 free agents the Browns could sign after Za'Darius Smith trade
By Randy Gurzi
Browns target No. 1: Matt Ioannidis
The last player Cleveland should consider is arguably their best option. Matt Ioannidis is a seven-year vet who spent the first six seasons of his career with Washington. During that time, he moved from defensive end in a 3-4 front to a defensive tackle in the 4-3.
No matter what alignment he was in, Ioannidis was a success for Washington. A former fifth-round pick out of Temple, he recorded 212 tackles with 24.5 sacks, and 25 tackles for a loss during that span. His best stretch came in 2018 and 2019 when he recorded 31 tackles and 7.5 sacks followed by 64 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
Despite his numbers, Ioannidis never really got the respect he deserved. Of course, he's typically had big-name players around him that have taken the spotlight and that was still true in 2022 when he played for the Carolina Panthers.
Ioannidis was still a well-rounded player who was given decent grades against both the run and the pass by PFF. His numbers were modest as he had just 37 tackles and one sack. He did, however, record five tackles for a loss, 10 pressures, and nine quarterback hits.
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At 29 years of age, Ioannidis still has plenty in the tank and would be a huge upgrade, even if his signing didn't make much noise.