Cleveland Browns: Top 10 remaining NFL free agents and if they fit
By Chad Porto
No. 6 – Darqueze Dennard (CB)
Darqueze Dennard is not a fight for the Cleveland Browns, let’s just get that out there right now. The former first-round pick by the Cinncinati Bengals has done next to nothing to warrant being signed by any team, let alone being considered a “top ten free agent”. Dennard has been in the league since 2014, has played in 77 games, and only started 24 of them. Yes, he’s relatively young, at 28, but he’s also never shown to be a consistent enough player to warrant a contract of any length.
Beyond his inconsistency, he’s injury-prone to the point he’s unreliable. If he started to rack up the injuries over 30, you could still make the case that he brings a veteran presence and the ability to make an impact on special teams if needed. Yet, Dennard has been unable to stay on the field for one reason or another for most of his career. He’s got talent, sure, but he’s got no real upside or x-factor that warrants a need to get him specifically over someone else.
The Browns already have a handful of young(er) and streaky cornerbacks, and with Dennard’s former teammate Kirkpatrick being a better option in every way, except age, the idea of bringing in Dennard makes no real sense at all.
In his one year of complete health, 2016, he did rack up 85 total tackles, a nice number for a team that couldn’t find more than seven wins. Unless every cornerback on the team gets hurt and the squad needs four or five new corners, there’s no reason to call Dennard for 2020.
Does he fit?
No. He’s too old to be a prospect and too young to be a veteran influence. He’s injury-prone, inconsistent, and a bust.