Cleveland Browns: 3 free agent defensive tackles that would move the needle
By John Suchan
The Cleveland Browns need to solidify their defensive tackle position and they can start by signing a free agent. Here are three free agents to consider at that position
It's been the most glaring issue on the Cleveland Browns roster for years and yet the team still hasn't addressed the problems with the defensive line, particularly with finding good defensive tackles. How the front office hasn't been more focused on this area each offseason is surprising. They did bring in Taven Bryan a year ago in free agency but the former 2018 first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars never worked out.
That move wasn't a bad one, but it was also one that the Browns have liked to make in the past. It just doesn't look like from the outside that they want to overspend on an important part of the team, and it has cost them dearly over the last few seasons. So, now we'll see if they do buy into bringing in a more established veteran in this free agency market this time around. There are many excellent defensive tackles in this year's group of free agents so let's take a look a three of them.
3. Javon Hargrave, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
It will cost the Browns an arm and a leg to get Javon Hargrave in an Orange and Brown uniform, but Hargrave has a history with Cleveland defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and I expect the team to be in hot pursuit of this Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle. He's been the talk of the town and there's been heavy interest in pursuing this free agent.
He once played for the Pittsburgh Steelers but has come on strong these last two seasons in Philly. He was a menace last year, getting into the backfield, causing a commotion, and sacking the quarterback 11 times. Those sacks were the most he's collected in his career. He's been steady in the tackling department as well. This season he collected 60 tackles, including 10 of them for losses.
The big question for Hargrave and the Browns has to do with money. The team is pretty much strapped in terms of cap space but there are talks of multiple Cleveland players like quarterback Deshaun Watson restructuring their own contracts to benefit the team and its future.
It's estimated that Hargrave will be due somewhere in the ballpark of $20 million a season and that's a pretty penny. However, if the Browns are serious about making a real run at getting to and winning a Super Bowl, there's no time like the present to make that happen, and grabbing Hargrave now would be a step in the right direction.