Browns free agency: 4 impacts John Johnson signing has on 2021

2. Browns save in long run, no DEs

No, the Browns didn’t sign a defensive end in free agency, and that may be a win in the long run.

1. Carl Lawson was the name most being associated with the Browns heading into free agency. He signed a three-year, $45 million with the Jets.

The Bengals decided to pass on keeping their homegrown talent and looked desperate in doing so. to make up for losing Lawson, Cincinnati gave Trey Hendrickson a four-year, $60 million deal.

Hendrickson had the sack numbers last season (14.5) compared to Lawson’s 5.5. That said, Lawson was second in the NFL with 32 quarterback hits. Why not just sign the guy you’ve invested four years in?

2. Did anyone shed a tear seeing Bud Dupree sign a contract that will pay him $16.5 million annually with the Titans? He’s coming off a major injury and he just seemed like an awkward fit with the Browns playing four down linemen. In total, the deal pays five years, $85 million.

3. Yannick Ngakoue was a player Browns’ fans were hot on last offseason. Olivier Vernon ended up being a better player than Ngakoue and his play reflected the two-year, $26 million contract he signed with the Raiders.

Good rule of thumb: Don’t let good pass rushers go. As evidenced by the Raiders signing Ngakoue, they’re still trying to fill the void created when they dealt Khalil Mack.

Additionally, pass rushers at their best don’t hit free agency: See Myles Garrett.