It's no secret that the Browns’ defense is long overdue for some serious upgrades. Even with the help of Myles Garrett, the Browns’ 2024 defensive stats were abysmal. For the second season in a row they came in dead last when it came to tackling efficiency percentage, an embarrassing statistic that played a part in their lousy 3-14 record. Last year, the entire defense could only boast a modest 41 sacks, 14 of which were thanks to Garrett who constantly found himself fighting through double teams on 29.1% of his pass rushes (the most in the NFL) on his way to opposing quarterbacks.
As exceptional as Garrett is, the Browns cannot rely on him to do it all himself, no matter how much they pay him. Their need for more pass rushers is glaringly obvious. The addition of supplemental weapons who can pressure the pocket, especially off the edge, would relieve some of the suffocating resistance Garrett routinely faces, freeing him up to run rampant behind enemy lines, disrupting plays and getting the ball back in the hands of the Browns’ offense.
Browns’ defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, is an ardent proponent of pass rushing by committee and he has been known to keep a herd of disruptive options ready in the stable, ready to rotate in at a moment’s notice, not dissimilar to the way MLB teams use relievers. To keep his rushers fresh and explosive though, Schwartz desperately needs more depth; something the Brown’s brass has been trying to provide him with, with limited success so far.
In this year’s draft, Cleveland's invested a second-round pick on linebacker Carson Schwesinger who should prove a useful complement to the defensive equation if his FBS leading 90 solo tackles hint at his pro potential.
The Browns expanded their search to free agency, finding Joe Tryon-Shoyinka newly ousted from Tampa Bay and signed him to a one-year deal worth $4.75 million; a steep price for someone with only 15 career sacks. Price tags aside, every bit helps when the Browns have the second-most challenging schedule in the entire league to look forward to.
In April, the Browns added defensive end Julian Okwara, who has spent his uneventful career buried deep within depth charts and where he is likely to remain. Okwara is currently sitting third in line behind Myles Garrett and Alex Wright and isn’t expected to see meaningful snaps anytime soon.
Jim Schwartz, however, knows full well how much the Browns are going to rely on their defense this season, especially with their uncertainties on the offensive side of the ball. His defense, in turn, is going to rely heavily upon its frontline soldiers, of which there can never be enough. The search for more firepower to place up front on the line of scrimmage is going to force the Browns to look again at the free agent market.
The biggest available name in the edge rushing game at the moment is Von Miller. Not only is he far too expensive for the Browns to afford (approximately $20 million last year), but at 36 years old, it's fair to question whether or not he would be worth the weighty investment at this late stage of his career.
Miller isn't the only edge rusher with an eye-popping price tag; even Jadeveon Clowney is expected to receive over $11 million this year, according to Sportrac. He, too, is well beyond the reach of the penny-pinching Browns.
A little cheaper but likely still too rich for the Browns’ blood is DeMarcus Walker who is expected to receive around $7 million from whichever team decides to scoop him up. Talent doesn’t come cheap in this business and if the Browns could somehow work some salary cap magic, he would be a good fit on their defensive line opposite Myles Garrett. Media outlets are linking him to Baltimore in the divisional arms race taking place right now in the AFC North and the Browns surely do not want to let this weapon fall into the hands of their sworn enemy. Realistically, though, the Browns just don’t have that kind of dough right now, as so much of their cap cash is tied up in Deshaun Watson’s record-setting contract.
And then there is Matthew Judon; a longtime Raven, short time Patriot and recent Falcon, and lest fans forget, a four time Pro Bowler, who boasts a long career of terrorizing quarterbacks off the edge. Surprisingly given all his success in the league, Sportrac estimates his maret value next year at a relatively affordable $4.24 million which is well within the budget of the cash strapped Browns, especially if they free up a few more bucks with upcoming cuts.
At 32 years old, Judon might not be quite as elite as he once was, but in Jim Schwartz’s strength in numbers defense, he is more than capable of fulfilling all that will be asked of him and more. Judon would bring depth and experience to the defensive unit which has been relying far too much on the exceptional talents of Myles Garret. To ensure that their defensive line has everything it needs to carry their team as a whole, the Browns need to hop on this deal immediately before some other team beats them to it.