Browns Free Agent Priorities, Potential Fits

Acquiring wide receiver Amari Cooper have the Cleveland Browns off to a good start, but with free agency looming, they still have work to do, especially on the defensive line, but could further look at wide receiver and specialists.

The Cleveland Browns prepare to enter free agency with the goal of filling out their roster, so they are unencumbered in the NFL Draft, able to pick what they believe are the best players in the long run. 

Accomplishing that feat could be challenging given the areas the Browns are looking to upgrade this year. They were able to get started by agreeing to a trade with the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Amari Cooper, which will become effective at the beginning of the league year. That provides the Browns with some freedom at that position and options overall.

With Cooper in the fold, the biggest issue that stands out for the Browns is the defensive line. That could become an higher priority if the reports that suggest defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is likely to head elsewhere in hopes of landing a top dollar multiyear deal.

Even as that is likely to happen, it will be worth monitoring to see who is willing to give Clowney the deal he wants. The messaging of the Browns is they might inclined to let Clowney walk could be a negotiating tactic. If Clowney cannot find the deal he wants, he might be inclined to work out a deal to stay with the Browns, especially given the level of success he enjoyed playing across from Myles Garrett.

Defensive tackle is the position that looks the most pressing from a free agency standpoint. Not only are the Browns weak there, but so is the NFL Draft. It's rarely a prudent plan to count on rookies to step in and start at that position, which is even more problematic when the draft class is limited.

For a team that plays split high safeties as the Browns do, getting two-gapping, run stuffing defensive tackles is the best way to address the defensive interior for early downs. Jordan Davis of Georgia and Travis Jones of Connecticut are the only two players that fit that bill and fit other criteria the Browns have like age. Davis's teammate Devonte Wyatt will be 24 years old at the end of the month, which is two years older than any player this front office has drafted the past two seasons.

The good news is free agency will have proven available. The bad news is that other teams aren't stupid and they understand supplies are limited making them more likely to make higher bids for these players.

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In a perfect world, the Browns would land two of the following players.

D.J. Jones, DT San Francisco 49ers

Part of a productive San Francisco 49ers front, Jones is a true nose, has the ability to stop the run, but has a little juice to get after the passer. He benefited from playing on a front with players like Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, but he has proven to be effective in his own right.

The 1-tech nose is 27 years old and has some familiarity with Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods who spent some time with the 49ers after his stint as the DC with the Denver Broncos before coming to Cleveland.

B.J. Hill, DT Cincinnati Bengals

Hill was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals after he was drafted by the New York Giants. Hill specializes in run stopping, but does it from the 3-tech position. He's not yet 26 years old, the Bengals are primed to let him hit the open market and the Browns could make a push for him.

These two teams are not strangers in terms of sign each other's defensive tackles. The Browns signed Andrew Billings from the Bengals two years ago. The Bengals signed Larry Ogunjobi this past offseason.

Harrison Phillips, DT Buffalo Bills

Phillips is the smallest of this group, bearing a resemblance Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Kelly Gregg. He plays at right around 300 pounds, but has an incredible amount of strength and ballast that enables him to impact the line of scrimmage.

The Bills look like they will be unable to afford to keep Phillips, which could give the Browns a versatile player up front. 26 years old, the issue for Phillips has been durability. His 555 snaps in 2021 were more than his previous two seasons combined.

Folorunso Fatukasi, DT New York Jets

Fatukasi looks like an upfield defensive tackle with his build, but he's been one of the better run stoppers in the NFL. That in itself might be the problem as he could be set to get the most money of any of these players. Nevertheless, he's 27 years old and could be an excellent addition.

If the Browns are able to get one of these players and the Browns still want to go for a high impact player, they could make plays for include Akiem Hicks and Calais Campbell. Hicks has missed a number of games over the past three years due to injury while Campbell has been great. If those players are looking for a chance to win a ring, they might not be interested in Cleveland.

Linval Joseph and DaQuan Jones are in their 30s, but could be professional short term options potentially working in a rotation with second year defensive tackle Tommy Togiai.

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The edge position will be the most difficult to project, because the Browns could go in a number of different directions, both in terms of style and talent. The Browns would probably like to have Clowney or a player like him to help set the edge and be able to collapse the pocket, but they could also add a more athletic option to work opposite Garrett.

More than likely, they want one of each, recreating the dynamic they had with Garrett, Clowney and Takkarist McKinley. It's just a question of how they get there.

Von Miller, EDGE Los Angeles Rams

It sounds crazy, but don't dismiss it out of hand. Miller at one point considered Cleveland. And while that may have been in part due to Odell Beckham, who reportedly told him not to go, there were some other reasons as well.

Nevertheless, Miller knows Myles Garrett, both being top of the line edge rushers who went to college at Texas A&M. Miller also knows defensive coordinator Joe Woods from the two seasons he was the defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos. In those two seasons, Miller recorded a combined 24.5 sacks and 49 quarterback gits.

It also may not hurt just how accommodating the Browns were with Beckham, enabling him to go to the Rams.

Emmanuel Ogbah, DE Miami Dolphins

Ogbah looks like he will get to the open market and he would fit the Browns the same way Clowney did. He is familiar with not only the Browns but the front office, since Andrew Berry was part of the group that drafted him.

The key with Ogbah is price point. He's projected to get $15 million per season, so unless that market collapses or the contract is incredibly imaginative, he's probably not going to end up with the Browns.

Uchenna Nwosu, EDGE Los Angeles Chargers

With the acquisition of Khalil Mack, the former second pick is primed to hit the market at just 25 years old. He hasn't been super productive, but he's an athletic player that can rush off the edge and even drop back into coverage. He might be a candidate for the role McKinley played, but he might also have a larger market than some might expect including moves that would allow him to stay on the West Coast.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, EDGE Los Angeles Rams

A more cost effective option than Nwosu, he should be a player to put a gold star next to if the Browns are looking to get an athletic situational pass rusher. He's going to be 27 years old and has not played a ton of football in his four years with the Rams, so he might be be a bargain.

Two former teammates are on the Browns in safety John Johnson III and corner Troy Hill. Okoronkwo was also college teammates with quarterback Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma.

Arden Key, EDGE San Francisco 49ers

Key struggled in the early part of his career, but his own development, both on the field and off saw him take advantage of the talented 49ers front. Key is about to be 26 years old, but what makes him particularly intriguing for the Browns is that he's a rotational pass rusher with size. His weight might be listed at around 240 pounds, but he looks like he's 260 at least.

The wildcard with the edge position is Olivier Vernon. Back from Achilles' injury, he's ready to enter free agency. He could be part of an effective rotation. Vernon is not only a technically sound player, but he's also a value to the locker room which could be appealing to the Browns.

Some other stop-gap options along the same lines could include Jerry Hughes and Melvin Ingram III. Ingram might be likely to stay with the Chiefs if the team moves on from Frank Clark. Hughes might be a more viable option on that front.

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Amari Cooper gives the Browns flexibility in how they want to look at the wide receiver position in free agency. They aren't forced to get in a bidding war with a receiver market might prove to be underwhelming. Still, if there's a deal to be made, the Browns aren't going to hesitate.

Cedrick Wilson, WR Dallas Cowboys

The Browns just acquired his teammate Amari Cooper. Wilson might not hate the idea of going with him. After Michael Gallup went down with a torn ACL, Wilson popped in terms of production and certainly looked the part of a good receiver with some viability on the boundary as well as the slot.

Still, he was the fourth option on that offense behind CeeDee Lamb, Cooper and tight tend Dalton Schultz. Wilson performed well in the best circumstances, so it will be interesting to see how big his market is.

D.J. Chark, WR Jacksonville Jaguars

A player with excellent tools coming out of LSU that has flashed in the NFL. Unfortunately, injuries marred this past season, so he enters free agency on a down note. That likely will not damper his market, which is what could end up pricing him out of the Browns range.

Chark would give the Browns another receiver that can attack vertically and stretch the field, which could help to improve the spacing on offense.

Braxton Berrios, WR New York Jets

Berrios is quietly an efficient slot receiver who has been pretty good the past two seasons. If/when the Browns move on from Jarvis Landry, they might want to add a player like Berrios that provides a slot option with true contrast against their tight ends. Berrios is 26. He can also return kicks, which should appeal to the Browns who were miserable on special teams each of the past two seasons.

Jamison Crowder, WR New York Jets

Another slot option from the Jets, Crowder should be a much cheaper option that still offers professionalism the way Landry did with a more specific role.

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The Browns are also going to be on the lookout for kickers and punters. They may try to attract Younghoe Koo, who might be the biggest name on the open market, but they are going to get specialists on the roster even they might look to add someone in or after the upcoming NFL Draft. This class has a few talented punters.

One name to continue to monitor might be Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett. The Seahawks are at least reportedly vying for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Lockett makes that a more attractive destination. Should he end up elsewhere, the Seahawks might lean into a full rebuild and could look to unload Lockett for additional draft assets.

Lockett could further enhance the Browns offense and play really well across from Cooper, giving them a pair of credible receivers with a bonus in the form of a developing Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Two names to keep an eye on the Browns roster are tight end Austin Hooper and linebacker Mack Wilson. If traded, Hooper's contract becomes a two-year deal worth $9.5 million per season and no bonus money attached. The Browns might be able to flip him for an asset at some point this offseason.

Wilson is set to earn $2.54 million in base salary this season. His role was reduced but he was more effective defending the run this past year and is still only 24 years old. A team with cap space might be willing to take a chance on him in a low-risk swap for a conditional pick. If he makes the roster, the Browns might get a future late day three pick.