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Cleveland Browns: 5 free agent options better than Malcolm Smith

By Chad Porto

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 27: A.J. Bouye #21 of the Jacksonville Jaguars enters the field with teammates Tyler Shatley #69 and Malcolm Smith #53 before the start of a game against the New York Jets at TIAA Bank Field on October 27, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 27: A.J. Bouye #21 of the Jacksonville Jaguars enters the field with teammates Tyler Shatley #69 and Malcolm Smith #53 before the start of a game against the New York Jets at TIAA Bank Field on October 27, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – JANUARY 01: Jake Ryan #47 of the Green Bay Packers and Kerry Hyder #61 of the Detroit Lions react to a neck injury to Quinten Rollins (not pictured) of the Packers during the third quarter at Ford Field on January 1, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – JANUARY 01: Jake Ryan #47 of the Green Bay Packers and Kerry Hyder #61 of the Detroit Lions react to a neck injury to Quinten Rollins (not pictured) of the Packers during the third quarter at Ford Field on January 1, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

Jake Ryan

Jake Ryan is a good football player. Across his time with the Green Bay Packers, Ryan showed himself to be a great run stopper. A departure and trip to Jacksonville were meant to show what Ryan could do but injuries slowed Ryan’s 2019 season. He barely played and was not brought back. Ryan then signed with the Baltimore Ravens and was released due to a non-football injury. A free agent once again, there’s still no word on what the injury was or how severe it was and that may be why teams aren’t calling him.

Yet, unless it’s a torn ligament in his knee or something else that’s catastrophic, why not give him a call? Again, if he’s too hurt to play in 2020, fair enough. The Browns were right to not call him then or were right to not offer him a deal if they did talk.

If Ryan is healthy or would be healthy for the season, then why there aren’t even rumors that the Browns aren’t interested in signing him is baffling. They’re clearing fine with taking riders on injured players, like Karl Joseph, Olivier Vernon, Odell Beckham Jr., and Malcolm Smith among others. So the injuries aren’t a huge concern.

It’s also not like Smith is a better player than Ryan when healthy either. Ryan is a pretty good tackler, and while he doesn’t have the athleticism as a Joe Schobert, Ryan can be a wrecking ball in the middle of the defense. Not one to blow a lot of tackles, Ryan would be an instant upgrade over much of what the team currently has. Smith has a Superbowl MVP but so does Joe Flacco and Dexter Jackson. It’s not actually anything to be impressed by.

Why the NFL does a Super Bowl MVP and not a Playoffs MVP is anyone’s guess.

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