5 replacements the Cleveland Browns could use to replace Andrew Billings.
When the Cleveland Browns signed free agent Andrew Billings away from the Cincinnati Bengals, the transaction wasn’t the splashiest move, rather, it was a sound signing that added depth to the defensive line.
Despite having three seasons under his belt, Billings would’ve played the entire 2020 campaign at the age of 25. Adding him as a rotational piece seemed exactly like the type of move the analytically oriented front office would make.
Billings was young, came with experienced, and was still viewed as a player on the rise.
The former fourth-round pick opted out of the season though, out of concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning the Browns need to clog the hole on the depth chart.
On the starting line, they look solid, returning Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi, but now, Andrew Berry needs to find a new backup to the back-up plan, as not having Billings hurts the front four.
Here’s five replacements the Browns may want to consider while constructing their depth chart for 2020. The Browns will most likely try to fix the situation internally, and the top options are listed here. However, should Berry venture into the free-agent market, the top three candidates he should target are also listed.
1. Domata Peko
Andrew Billings played his last snap for the Bengals, and the Browns might want to consider another player who rose to prominence in the Queen City: Domata Peko.
The 35-year-old still wants to play and there are at least a handful of teams interested in keeping the career of this accomplished veteran alive.
So, what would the Browns, with a young roster and analytically driven front office want with a player who zoomed past 30 five years ago?
Remember, Training Camp and the preseason are going to be different this year. Rookies haven’t had the chance to get on the field with their new teams and they’re not going to be able to get their feet wet in the exhibition campaign.
With Peko, you have a player who knows the tricks of the trade. Plus, he’d be replacing a guy who was already a back-up rotational piece of the defensive line. Since the Browns won’t be relying on Peko, why not see what production he has left in the tank?
Plus, Peko brings some swagger to a unit that while talented, still has a lot to prove. Make fun of the Bengals all you want, but Pako was on the Cincinnati teams that fought for AFC North titles for much of the early 2010s.
2. Slyvester Williams
Speaking of experienced lineman, Sylvester Williams is another name to keep in mind.
Williams is a 2013 first-round pick who has bounced around the past couple of seasons. He’s really a true nose tackle, but would easily fit in as a tackle in the Browns 4-3 base.
Williams had some nice moments while in a Chargers uniform a season ago, and that’s what you want from your back-up defensive tackle.
When Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi need a break, Williams is a experienced veteran capable of excelling in flashes.
As mentioned with Pako, that might be the best you can hope for when excavating through the remaining free agents. He had five tackles in five games, but he’s someone capable of generating pressure up the middle.
Williams spent the first four years of his career in Denver, before landing in Tennessee for a season. From there he landed in Detroit and Miami for the 2018 season, before catching on with the Chargers last season.
3. Mike Daniels
When Mike Daniels was in his prime, he was collecting 4.0-5.5 sacks per season for the Green Bay Packers. Those days are going, but he could still provide some value, especially out of a backup role.
Some might even argue that he’s the best free-agent defensive tackle available, ending last season with a 70.1 grade on Pro Football Focus. He had 10 tackles and one sack last season for the Lions.
He was paid $9.1 million last season, which turned out to be a lot considering Daniels role was a rotational player. That’s what he’d be in Cleveland, and the Browns front office won’t be in a hurry to shell out any kind of big money to secure him for 2020.
With Richardson and Ogunjobi as the starters, playing alongside Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon, the Browns have four starters capable of putting pressure on the quarterback.
Daniels fits the mold and can even claim to being named a former Pro Bowler (2017).He’s posted an 84.1 pass rushing grade in his five seasons. That ranks ninth among 136 interior defenders with 1,000 or more defensive snaps, according to PFF.
Again, he’s not a player in his prime, but he doesn’t need to be an every-down player at this point of his career.
4. Jordan Elliott
There were high hopes for Jordan Elliott when he was drafted in the third-round (88th overall) in last spring’s draft, and now it looks like the Cleveland Browns will have to rush the rookie into being a key rotational piece on the line unless they sign a veteran free agent.
Elliott will bring fresh legs, but more importantly, the analytics love him. While most big boards had him ranked in the 70s or 80s on their big boards, PFF had him No. 23.
PFF argued that his two-year grade of 92.8 at Missouri was too great a number to pass up, and that grade earned Elliott the grade of the highest rated college football defender for the 2019 season.
He might not possess the super-human strength of players taken ahead of him, such as Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw, but Elliott is athletic enough. He posted an 18.7 percent win-rate last season, which over the past five years, is the fourth best mark for a season that’s been recorded.
He might not possess the craftiness of a veteran, but good things are expected form this prospect. That said, having a non-traditional training camp and no preseason will undoubtedly affect Elliott in the early going.
Playing defensive tackle doesn’t come with the same complexities as playing quarterback though, so ideally, we’ll see what the Browns front office saw in him by mid season.
5. Eli Ankou
Eli Ankou might not be a well-known name, but he should get a shot in wake of Andrew Billings opting out. The big thing Ankou has going for is tackling, as Ankou had the second-highest tackling grade on the defense a season ago.
Ankou did this playing playing 183 snaps, in which is totaled 7.0 takedowns.
Daniel Ekuale might be in competition for Billins’ spot as well, although the 26-year-old is on the opposite side of the tackling spectrum. This former practice squad player who made the roster out of camp last season was one of the worst tackles on the squad. In 114 snaps, he made four tackles, but earned a 29.5 tackling grade from PFF.
Last preseason, Ekuale’s name seemed to come up a lot for positive reasons after showing flashes in the preseason. However, when the season started, he’d kind of disappear as a rotation piece who wasn’t making enough noise for fans to remember his accomplishments.
In Week 8, he injured his calf against the Patriots and was put on IR, ending his season.