Browns GM Andrew Berry strikes swiftly in free agency with three big signings on offense

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.

Andrew Berry made good on his word.

The day he was introduced by the Browns as the youngest general manager in the NFL, Berry said, “If there is anything that I want to be defined by, it is aggression. We want to aggressively acquire talent because that is the name of the game from an NFL front office perspective, and we are going to explore every avenue that enables us to do that.”

On the first day of legal negotiating with free agents, Berry agreed to terms with three offensive players tailored to new coach Kevin Stefanski’s offensive system.

In rapid succession, the reported deals were struck with:

*Atlanta tight end Austin Hooper for $42 million over four years, with $23 million guaranteed.

*Tennessee right tackle Jack Conklin for $42 million over three years, with $30 million guaranteed.

*Washington quarterback Case Keenum for $18 million over three years, with $10 million guaranteed.

The fine-print breakdown of the deals won’t be known until after the transactions are confirmed on Wednesday – the official first day of free agent signings. But it’s safe to say that Berry put a nice dent in the Browns’ $61.5 million in salary cap room for the 2020 season.

Earlier in the day, the Browns gave restricted free agent running back Kareem Hunt the second-round tender. The tender, worth a guaranteed $3.2 million to Hunt in 2020, reserves the Browns a second-round pick in compensation if another team signs Hunt to an offer sheet and the Browns decline to match.

Here’s a breakdown of Berry’s first major transactions as Browns GM.

Tight end Austin Hooper (four years/$42 million)

This was the only real surprise of the day because it was assumed that incumbent David Njoku was back in good standing with the regime that originally traded up into the first round and drafted him No. 29 overall in 2017.

Now it’s fair to speculate (again) on Njoku’s future with the Browns.

Sure, Stefanski favors two-tight end sets. He used more of them as Vikings offensive coordinator last year than any other coach. He also uses three tight ends on occasion.

So the possibility of Njoku staying is there. But the Browns are facing a May 2 decision on whether to exercise the fifth-year option of Njoku’s rookie contract. That would come at a cost estimated between $7 million and $8 million in 2021.

In the old CBA, the fifth-year option was guaranteed only for injury. A team had the option of revoking it after the player’s fourth year. In the new CBA, the fifth-year option is fully guaranteed. So there’s no turning back.

Guaranteeing two tight ends – Hooper and Njoku -- approximately $19 million in 2021 just doesn’t sound prudent. For example, the Vikings, Stefanski’s old team, are devoting about $11.5 million to all their tight ends in 2020, per overthecap.com.

The Browns made Hooper the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. Stefanski views him as a dependable, productive tight end whose receiving numbers have improved each of his four seasons with Atlanta. The last two seasons, Hooper, 25, has averaged 73 receptions for 723 yards and five touchdowns, with a catch rate of 79 percent.

Right tackle Jack Conklin (three years/$42 million)

Conklin, 25, a 2016 All-Pro selection, was considered the best right tackle in free agency because of his age and solid season in 2019 after ACL surgery. But his price tag was speculated to threaten the record for right tackles – close to $18 million.

In an analysis on Friday, CBS.com’s Joel Corry, a former player agent, estimated Conklin’s contract target at $70 million over four years – a $17.5 million average. (In the same article, Corry predicted Hooper’s contract within $2 million of what he received.)

So getting Conklin for a $14 million average over three years looks like a bargain in comparison. The short-term deal allows Conklin to re-enter free agency at the age of 28.

Conklin is a certifiable right tackle. His signing poses uncertainty for incumbent right tackle Chris Hubbard; he could be kicked inside to compete at right guard. It also mandates the Browns to zero in on a starting left tackle, probably in the draft.

Signing a left tackle in free agency – or trading for one – would appear doubtful given the spending spree at other positions so far and needs to fill on the defensive side.

Quarterback Case Keenum (three years/$18 million)

This reunion of the veteran quarterback who had by far his best NFL season in 2017 with Stefanski as his position coach with the Vikings seemed inevitable.

But the aggressiveness the Browns showed in making it happen was interesting.

In an unprecedented year of available veteran quarterbacks in free agency, nobody envisioned Keenum being the first to change teams. Tennessee re-signed Ryan Tannehill and Minnesota extended Kirk Cousins, but Keenum found a new team before Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, and others.

The Browns will be Keenum’s fifth team in five years. He was 12-4 as the Vikings’ starter in 2017 (counting post-season); 16-32 with the Texans, Rams, Broncos and Redskins.

Keenum’s NFL experience and familiarity with Stefanski’s system – though he didn’t play in the 2019 version that Stefanski intends to implement with the Browns – should be an asset for Baker Mayfield in 2020.

Now, what does Berry do for an encore?

With needs at safety (two), pass rusher and linebacker, you would expect him to turn attention to the defense. And don’t rule out trades.

“We are going to explore every avenue [of player acquisition],” said Berry, who proved on Day One he’s a man of his word.