Although the Cleveland Browns haven’t officially signed anyone yet, the legal tampering period is in full force and a lot of the top free agents have already agreed to terms. Remember, although it's rare, nothing is official until Wednesday at 4 PM EST. It doesn’t happen often, but we have seen multiple situations in the past where guys have changed their minds.
Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry has been somewhat quiet, but his moves have been highly calculated and the value has been substantial. The Browns have only made four moves, but there are likely more to come as the market settles.
Even though there hasn’t been a ton of activity, let’s great the moves thus far.
Cleveland Browns Signing No. 3: Retaining Ethan Pocic and Sione Takitaki
Two moves by Berry were retaining guys on the roster. Both Sione Takitaki and Ethan Pocic signed deals to return to the Cleveland Browns after both had successful 2022 campaigns.
Takitaki really came on strong to end the 2022 season, but unfortunately tore his ACL. After spending his first four years in the NFL with the Browns, Berry is giving him another shot with a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.
This is a low-risk deal with the potential for a high reward. If Takitaki can get healthy and perform as he did last season, this was an absolute steal. In the worst-case scenario where Takitaki loses a step and doesn’t play as well, it’s next to nothing against the cap and the Browns can move on in 2024 or even mid-season.
This was a homerun by Berry.
I’m not as high on the three-year, $18 million deal to Pocic, but it does show me they don’t quite trust Nick Harris. This offensive line has a ton of money tied up right now, so they better be excellent in 2023. Pocic is a strong run defender but is an undersized lineman and can get bullied in pass protection.
Locking in Pocic gives the Browns flexibility moving forward which is crucial. If Wyatt Teller has another down year, they can look to move that contract and slide Harris in at guard. I do like Pocic for depth, but I am afraid this line will underperform for how much money is tied up in it.
Grade: B+
Cleveland Browns Signing No. 2: Obo Okoronkwo
The first outside signing for the Cleveland Browns was the three-year, $19 million deal given to pass rusher Obo Okoronkwo who won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams and spent last season with the Houston Texans.
There's no doubt this is a value signing where Berry sees the potential. It appears that Okoronkwo was brought in to start alongside Myles Garrett. And while he has had some success in the league, his best season still only brought five sacks and 32 tackles.
Sources: Obo Okoronkwo is siging with the #Browns, getting a 3-year deal worth $19M with a chance to make $22M. He gets $12.5M guaranteed.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2023
This is a great depth signing for the money, but I do have some fear with him being the legit No. 2 edge rusher on this roster. First of all, he is a bit of a one-trick pony right now. Okoronkwo struggles to defend the run and is mainly known as a pass-rushing specialist.
Rushing the QB is where the Browns need the most help, but it’s tough to sign a guy that you know will struggle to stay on the field. To me, either Berry has faith in Alex Wright to play a lot of snaps in his second year, or he is not done adding defensive ends this offseason.
Wright showed a lot of promise as a rookie (especially vs. the run), but I’m not sure he’s ready to be on the field for 20-25 snaps per game.
Again, for the money of this contract, Berry hit a grand slam. However, if the plan is for Okoronkwo to be the Robin to Garrett, I do have concerns that he is ready to make that leap in 2023.
Grade: A-
Cleveland Browns Signing No. 1: Dalvin Tomlinson
The most exciting signing so far for the Cleveland Browns has been defensive tackle, Dalvin Tomlinson. After watching Dre’Mont Jones and Javon Hargrave fall off the board, the mood was pretty sour for fans until this was announced late Monday.
I think that Berry dodged two bullets by missing out on those guys. The money that Hargrave got was insane for an interior lineman, and Jones wasn't a good fit as he's more of a pass rusher than a run stopper which is what the Browns need at D-tackle.
So not only did Berry get one of the better run defenders on the board, but he also got Tomlinson for four years and $57 million which is nearly 25 percent cheaper than deals that Jones or Hargrave got.
ICYMI: #Browns no longer cutting out the middle man. They agreed late Mon night with #Vikings FA DT Dalvin Tomlinson on a 4-year deal worth $57M, including $27.5M gtd. With DE Okoronwo earlier in day, that's a d-line overhaul https://t.co/yuM0tzplT0
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 14, 2023
In six NFL seasons, Tomlinson only has 13 sacks, but twice he has had 50 tackles which is a ton for a defensive tackle. At 325 pounds he's athletic enough to move from side to side, but also has the strength to take on multiple defenders and allow linebackers to roam free.
I know fans (myself included) wanted Berry to swing hard for a big-time defensive tackle, but I think we got the best of both worlds in this signing. A 29-year player in the prime of his career at a reasonable rate, who can stop the run which this team desperately needed.