Browns offseason acquisitions: Yay or Nay

Defensive End Chase Young: Nay

Another big name available among the D-line is former Washington and San Francisco defensive end Chase Young. While the former No. 2 overall draft pick in 2020 isn’t quite a draft bust, he certainly hasn’t matched the same level of play we saw win him Rookie of the Year.

He was a bit productive with the 49ers after they threw Washington a 3rd round pick to get him, but 3.5 sacks and 18 tackles in 12 games is underachieving especially when surrounded by the kind of talent San Francisco has in that front seven. It's also alarming that the team that traded for him only started him three times in those 12 games and isn’t eager to re-sign him. If the Browns do decide to pursue a defensive end in this free agency class, there are much better options out there than Chase Young.

Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair: Yay

One position that is shrouded in mystery for the Browns is linebacker. Outside of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, they have no long-term answer.

2023 starters Anthony Walker and Sionne Takitaki are hitting free agency and both had enough injuries and inconsistent play the past two years to question whether or not they warrant a long-term extension. Azeez Al-Shaair is the perfect match for this defense and linebacker room.

His speed and aggressiveness are eerily similar to that of Owusu Koramoah. Al-Shaair is also a three-down linebacker who can excel in all three phases: blitzing, run defense, and pass coverage. His 163 combined tackles were good enough for fifth in the entire league last year.

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