Browns: Patrick Peterson or Richard Sherman is a must this year

The Browns can’t go into another year with the current crop of corners and need to sign either Patrick Peterson or/and Richard Sherman.

Let’s be clear with the state of the corners on the Browns. With the exception of Denzel Ward, they’re all bad. Yes, even Greedy Williams, who had a weak rookie year. Ward isn’t exactly a great beacon for consistency either. Since entering the league, Ward has played fewer games in the same span of time as the “oft-injured” Joe Haden. Ward has played 37, Haden 45. The Browns corners are wrecked, which is why it makes sense to go after either Richard Sherman or Patrick Peterson; if not both.

The Browns safeties didn’t play all that bad last year, very rarely getting beat over the top outside of the first few weeks. The problem was mostly on the corners, who couldn’t cover even the most average receiver one-on-one without getting beaten. Sherman and Peterson may not be, on their own, blazing speedsters who can lock down Tyreke Hill, but as the Buccaneers showed last night, if you have a killer pass-rush you don’t need speedster corners.

Both men are intelligent, are aggressive, and have a history of being healthy. That right there makes them upgrades over the current crop of guys. It also doesn’t hurt that Sherman has already played in the Browns defensive scheme before during his time in San Francisco, as both teams carry similar schemes, if Sherman does hit the free agent wire and doesn’t return to the Bay, Sherman would be a scheme fit.

Peterson is one of the more nimble and athletic corners of his generation and even though he’s 30, he should still be able to adapt and fit into the Browns system with relative ease. If the Browns add one of these corners (or even both, why not?), goes after a J.J. Watt, maybe a Ndamukong Suh-type or a Shaquill Barrett, then this defense will be loaded.

That is, assuming, the Browns draft a linebacker and safety with their first two picks.