Browns should pair this free-agent linebacker with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

Happy new league year everyone! Free agency officially begins today, and the Cleveland Browns have made some really good moves so far. The splash move was trading for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy from the Denver Broncos. Since then, they have added a few depth pieces and re-signed some key contributors from 2023.

There are still several players available for the Browns to sign, so expect general manager Andrew Berry to continue to be calculated and aggressive. So far, the Browns have lost a few players to other teams, including linebackers Sionne Takitaki and Anthony Walker. The thought process is that Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is ready to take another step after an impressive Pro Bowl season in 2023.

JOK thrived in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's new system last season, often acting as a wrecking ball making plays behind the line of scrimmage. There's another player projected to be a free agent that would pair well with JOK, and that player is Isaiah Simmons.

Simmons was a first-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2020 and he was never properly used there because of this, he underachieved. In 2023, Simmons was traded to the New York Giants for a seventh-round pick. He finished with 50 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.

The thing with Simmons is that he has yet to be in the right system to help him break out. Remember how JOK was not properly used in Joe Woods' system? It is a similar problem. Simmons paired with JOK in Schwartz system would be a lot of fun to watch, and it could help him reach his potential.

If the Browns did bring Simmons in, it would have to be on a one-year prove-it deal. Because of this, it will make it challenging to make it a reality, but never count out Andrew Berry and his wizard abilities. If Simmons wants a multi-year deal that pushes his salary up to $12+ million, then it won't happen. Time will tell.

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