Early Days of Free Agency will Reveal Offseason Strategy

The Cleveland Browns currently sit on the bubble in the NFL's landscape. They are several moves away from becoming a legitimate contender, while they could also falter with moves in the wrong direction.

This offseason will prove critical in where the team moves. They could opt to go in several different directions through free agency and the draft, but everything else is pure speculation until then.

Fans will see where the front office wants to move within the first few hours of free agency. News will leak surrounding players the Browns are hopeful of bringing in, which will, in turn, reveal how they are planning to address their weaknesses.

Several things appear to be a certainty. The team should sign a run-stuffing defensive tackle in free agency, as the interior defensive line was one of their biggest deficiencies this season.

The defensive tackle draft class is lackluster, to say the least, meaning Cleveland should address that position through free agency. That isn't to say they don't draft someone on day two or three with the hopes of developing them, but their immediate future at the position is in free agency.

Other apparent certainties include bringing in several new wide receivers and edge rushers. Both rooms need more playmakers, but there are different paths the team can take to get there.

The process starts with the contract negotiations of edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. If the Browns can't work out a deal with Clowney, their chances of an edge in the first round drastically increase.

Clowney had a career season in 2021, finishing with nine sacks and two forced fumbles. He was an integral part of their run defense and paired nicely with fellow edge rusher Myles Garrett.

His impact transcended the stat sheet as rookie linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah burst onto the scene in part because of Clowney. Owusu-Koromoah was left free to roam the second level and attack because of the attention Clowney demanded from offensive linemen.

Cleveland would be hard-pressed to find an edge rusher in the draft that could step in and immediately replicate Clowney's impact. He has stated that he wants to remain with the team, and they should be willing to strike a deal.

If Clowney re-signs, that gives the Browns freedom to wait on edge rusher until day two. They could attack wide receiver in the first round, and based on the caliber of the position in this class; it would be difficult not to.

Regardless of their first-round strategy, the Browns will likely bring in several new receivers during the free-agent period. Their receiver room last season was at times unbearable, and the only long-term pieces appear to be Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz, and Demetric Felton.

Aside from those three, everyone else could hit the open market. That means the front office has to bring in savvy veterans that understand how to get open, something that sounds simple in theory but was extremely complicated in practice for the team in 2021.

The debate fans have had for most of the offseason is wide receiver or edge rusher in round one. Their negotiations with Clowney and free-agent edge rushers should tell us which way they plan to move; if they bring in another veteran in addition to Clowney, that all but guarantees they go on the perimeter at pick No. 13.

However, based on early feedback from mock drafts, it appears several quality edge rushers could slip down the board to the Browns. Purdue's George Karlaftis and Michigan's David Ojabo are consistently on the board at No. 13 in major mocks, leaving the question: can Cleveland really pass up that talent?

The answer will only be revealed in the moment, but signing an abundance of rushers would make it easier to justify trading down and waiting. If they feel that one of the available rushers is superbly talented, then maybe they hold out on the free-agent market and wait until round two to take a wideout.

That strategy could make sense in theory. Many talented receivers slip past the first round and end up carving out big roles for themselves early in their careers. In that scenario, the Browns end up with a talented edge and someone else on the boundary who eventually could become what they are hoping for.

Cleveland appears to have the right front office structure in place. Fans should trust general manager Andrew Berry and his track record, and instead of looking at this as a right and wrong approach, view it as an either-or situation.