Browns: 4 second-wave free agents Cleveland must consider signing

1. Aldon Smith, EDGE, Cowboys

The veteran rusher was just informed by the Cowboys that they are not interested in his return.

Smith comes with off the field baggage from years ago, and then he took a four-year hiatus from playing in the NFL. He returned last season with the Cowboys and played well, all things considered, recording 5.0 sacks.

According to Pro Football Focus, Smith posted a 70.0 pass rush grade, which tied for 34th at the position. Additionally, Smith posted a 16 percent win rate, which ranked 24th at the edge position.

KOA’s Ben Allbright recently said on Paul Brown’s podcast that Smith could be an option. He had said earlier in the podcast that McKinley was more of a reclamation project and not the “final answer” at the position.

Smith is 31, but doesn’t have the same wear and tear other players his age may have at this point of their careers. Olivier Vernon turned 30 last September and was still a productive player before suffering a season-ending injury.

Again, it’s all about price for the Browns and they don’t have a ton of money to work with. If Smith could be had for the right price, he’d certainly be an intriguing fit, especially over someone like Jadeveon Clowney, a player numerous Browns fans, for a reason I don’t understand, continue to bang the drum for.