Getting Anthony Nelson would be a low-key win for the Cleveland Browns

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Anthony Nelson may be the perfect fit for the Cleveland Browns.

The Cleveland Browns are unlikely to be big-spenders in free agency this offseason for a variety of reasons, but all of which come back to the single thing that has hurt them the most; the salary cap. The team gave a lot of money to very few players, namely one, and due to that, and the delayed payouts that Andrew Berry kept kicking down the road, the Browns are now in a financial hell.

Sure, some guys will get cut, even more restructuring will be done and some guys may be traded, but the Browns will still likely not have a lot of flexibility. That means they need to look for low-cost, high-effort guys. There are a few of them expected to hit the market when the league’s new season begins on March 15, and one of them is Anthony Nelson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Over the last two years, he’s played just less than a full season of snaps for the Buccaneers, just 991. That’s about 90% of defensive snaps the Buccaneers have played. Over that time, he put up 68 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, and 16 QB hits. So he’d actually be quite effective if he were to get more reps.

PFF doesn’t have the highest of marks for his 2022 campaign, giving him a 62.7 for his run defense, a 61.0 for his pass defense, and a 63.6 for his overall. But PFF is an opinion-based concept, shockingly enough, so don’t put them on a pedestal. They’re a good source of reference, but they aren’t gospel.

Should the Cleveland Browns go after Anthony Nelson?

Our sister site Dawg Pound Daily names Anthony Nelson one of their affordable players the Browns should consider, and frankly, I agree. I see Trey Hendrickson-type potential in him. A  late-blooming, pass-rushing defensive end that wasn’t given a real shake in his prior spot. Hendrickson left the New Orleans Saints and ended up with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Could another NFC South player make his way to the AFC North? I hope so, as Nelson would be the type of player that could help secure the edge. Combine him with Chase Winovich and that left side will look pretty stout.

Adding him would also take the need of drafting a defensive end high off the board, and allow the team to focus on a defensive tackle, linebacker, safety, and receiver instead.