The Cleveland Browns should sign these three players to bolster the team.
This is not an “either-or” situation. The Cleveland Browns skimped on bringing in proven veterans with miles left in their gas tank and instead settled on bargain-basement free agents that are injury-prone and came in on one-year deals. The team didn’t make any defensive splashes in a free agency or in the NFL Draft.
No, third-round picks aren’t “splashes”. They’re hopeful projections.
Their “biggest” acquisitions defensively were rookie safety Grant Delpit and veteran defensive tackle Andrew Billings. Neither player will be suiting up for the Cleveland Browns in 2020. Which hurts even worse, due to the team letting several key veterans go on defense. Two of whom, Joe Schobert and Damarious Randall, would have made this issue a moot point already.
Fans squawked about the abilities of Mack Wilson being able to replace Schobert’s production but now Wilson is possibly done for the entire year, making the decision to let Schobert go look even worse now. Plus no safety brought in is as good as Randall was.
The defensive line didn’t get better this off-season either, it simply brought back everyone who struggled to make an impact last year. Players like Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon are back despite sub-par years and despite rumors attaching the Browns to upgrades via free agency and the trade market, the Browns were never able to bring in one of the bigger free agents to fortify the line.
Management sacrificed defensive talent for offensive flexibility and it’s proven to be a problem. While the offense should be much improved, the defense may be in serious trouble, especially with the fact that most of the team’s quality cornerbacks are now injured.
These are three moves the Browns need to make before the season starts. Not one of three, but all three.
Logan Ryan
Get ready to hear a lot about Logan Ryan for the rest of the season, no matter where he signs. With the news that Greedy Williams may miss significant time, and his play being shakey at best during his rookie campaign, the fact the team hasn’t lept for Ryan is incredibly odd. The team has already made it pretty clear the team won’t spend money to improve the defense, instead, they are picking up bargain-basement options like former Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver.
No slam intended on Weaver, who was drafted by the Miami Dolphins during the 2020 NFL Draft, but was cut during training camp. He was someone many were high on. He should help provide some depth for the defensive line if he can pan out, but again, he was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was also just cut. That’s never a good sign.
Nor is he a player at a position of need. Maybe two weeks ago sure, but the linebacking corp and secondary have been devastated beyond where the defensive line was.
We’ve talked before about the stats of Ryan and how he had over 100 tackles as a nickle-corner for the Titans. Instead, let’s go over why the Browns would do well with signing him. As a team that is in need of healthy defensive backs across the board, Ryan makes for an optimal pick-up. He’s someone who could play nearly all of the defensive plays for the team regardless of position.
He’s good enough to start at corner for just about any team and has the tackling ability to play safety. Imagine him as the sixth-man of the defensive secondary. Williams is hurt? Ryan can start at weak-side corner. Karl Joseph goes down with an injury? Then Ryan can play strong (or free) safety, depending on need. Joseph, Andrew Sendejo, Williams and Denzel Ward all healthy? Ryan can be your nickel corner or dime safety.
His versatility is his biggest strength, a trend for this list and he’s willing to do a short-term contract. Allegedly.
Contract Offer: $16 million across two years.
Mark Barron
He’s not going to be a Hall of Famer but Mark Barron has shown the ability to play any defensive back spot on a pro field as well as the ability to lineup as a linebacker. Barron’s flexibility and versatility is his biggest selling point. No different than Logan Ryan.
The Browns probably won’t have Mack Wilson for the year and having someone like Barron will help the team get by without him. While the team did just acquire Malcolm Smith, Barron’s an improvement over not just Smith, but over B.J. Goodson and potentially Jacob Phillips and Sione Takitaki as well.
The Browns currently have zero proven linebackers and guys like Goodson and Smith aren’t options you want to build the center of your defense around. This isn’t even something people disagree with. Which makes it all the more confusing that the team is going in this direction.
It’s also entirely possible that the Browns may have the linebackers on staff already. If that’s the case, Barron can move back to defensive back. He could line up as a linebacker on first and ten and then slide to a third safety on third and long’s.
The Browns still have $38.6 million to spend. So why isn’t GM Andrew Berry living up to his promise to improve the roster no matter when in the season we are? The defense looked bad coming out of the NFL draft and free agency already, and now with guys like Billings opting out and injuries galore over the back two-thirds of the defense, the time is now to prove that you meant what you said. Barron is too dynamic to not be a Brown for 2020.
Contract offer: $2.5 million across one year
Clay Matthews III
Clay Matthews III was going to get paid $2 million for the 2020 season had the Los Angeles Rams not cut him. The Cleveland Browns can easily afford that for one year. Andrew Berry is hell-bent though on making his bargain name-brand guys the stars of the defense, however. Guys like B.J. Goodson, Sione Takitaki, and Jacob Phillips are going to be the starting linebackers for the 2020 NFL season and if anyone tells you that trio gets them excited, they’re lying.
Matthews is still good enough to chase after double-digit sacks. He’d be an instant upgrade over whoever starts at the outside linebacker position and with Mark Barron joining him, could actually make the Browns linebacking corp not garbage. Matthews isn’t the elite tackler he once was, and would probably take his fair amount of plays off, his pass rush skills and veteran leadership is enough to warrant discussion for him.
Especially if he’s only looking at $2 million for the year.
While the Browns already re-signed Olivier Vernon to a guaranteed deal for the 2020 season, on top of giving Myles Garrett an extension, there is no such thing as too much good pass rushing. Matthews as a blitzing linebacker on first and third downs would be exactly what the linebacking corp needs.
Someone who can actually make a difference from the middle of the field. The team is already going to miss Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey, so they might as well go all-in on Matthews, the son of the legendary Browns player, Clay Matthews Jr. It’d show the team’s commitment to making the defense better than it was in 2019 and it gives them a weapon they could desperately use.
Contract Offer: $2 million, with incentives across one year.
With Logan Ryan, Mark Barron, and Clay Matthews III, the team should fill some holes for the rest of 2020.
Total money spent for 2020: $12.5 million
Seems like a small chunk of money for a radically improved defense.