This Arizona receiver had numbers very comparable to Jarvis Landry's over the past four seasons at 1/10th the cost.
A list of potential free agents the Browns have to consider at five position groups
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
The NFL Combine is mostly noted as a week-long testing seminar for the best players entering the April 28-30 draft.
But NFL free agency starts just 10 days after the Combine concludes. So the convergence of all NFL team executives and dozens of player agents for a full week in Indianapolis serves to jumpstart the free-agent process. If deals aren’t necessarily consummated in the after-hours meetings in dark hotel lounges, certainly the seeds of interest are planted.
Free agency officially kicks off on March 16. As a precursor, we offer an early look at the positions and roles the Browns should be looking to address, and a list of possible options from which to choose.
Defensive end
With only Myles Garrett under contract, there are multiple needs here – a bona fide starter and a top reserve. If they filled those roles in free agency it would not preclude using a second-day draft choice on a developmental pass rusher, too. All of that would fill out the defensive end roster, along with camp hopefuls.
Jadeveon Clowney, Browns: The Browns have exclusive negotiating rights to re-sign Clowney until March 16. This should be GM Andrew Berry’s top priority among the 20 free agents on his own roster.
Derek Barnett, Eagles: With 21.5 sacks in 64 career games in five years in Philadelphia, he has not justified his first-round draft status. That’s why he’s available. He’s more of a high-end rotational end now – not a star. He’s still young (25), Berry knows him, and a change of scenery as a complement to Garrett might be a career boost.
Charles Harris, Lions: Another first-round pick of the 2017 draft who’s underperformed, he had a resurgence with the Lions -- his third team -- registering a career-high 7.5 sacks in his fifth season. He’s only 26 and would fit in the Browns’ wide, four-man alignment as a situational rusher.
Wide receiver
Odell Beckham Jr. is gone, Jarvis Landry could be close behind and Rashard Higgins’ time might also be up. That leaves Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz as the only wideouts under contract. A receiver taken high in the draft seems obvious. Although the Browns might not be of mind to shop for the top-end receivers in free agency, there are some intriguing possibilities in the second wave at lower cost.
Christian Kirk, Cardinals: What if I told you that over the last four seasons Kirk has more touchdowns than Landry (17 to 15) and a higher catch percentage (65.9 to 60.6)? Landry has more receptions (288 to 236) and more yards (3,560 to 2,902) but their average yards per catch are almost identical (12.4 for Landry, 12.3 for Kirk). In that time, Landry was paid $60.1 million and Kirk $5.9 million.
Russell Gage, Falcons: Are you in the mood for yet another LSU receiver? Gage doesn’t have the cachet of his more famous LSU alums, but he averaged 69 receptions, 778 yards and four touchdowns as a reserve the past two seasons. He’s a possession receiver who figures as a No. 3.
Cedrick Wilson, Cowboys: The Cowboys’ No. 4 receiver is a nice-sized target lost in their galaxy of offensive stars. He could easily ascend into a No. 2 role.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Packers: If you like size (6-4) and speed (4.37 40 time), you have to be intrigued by this gem from the Packers’ scouting system. They are among the top five personnel departments in uncovering receivers deep in the draft, or in Valdes-Scantling’s case, from the undrafted ranks. He’s a deep threat with a career average of 17.5 yards per catch and 13 touchdowns in four seasons. His low, 49.8 catch percentage is partly due to running a lot of deep routes but also because of his drops and weak hands in 50-50 situations. Still, if you want a moderately-priced field-stretcher, this is your guy.
Defensive tackle
The Browns hope 2020 third-round pick Jordan Elliott ascends into a starting role in his third season. The only other tackle under contract is 2021 fourth-round pick Tommy Togiai, who had only 124 snaps as a rookie. So there’s a need for at least two bodies at this position.
Akiem Hicks, Bears: At 32, he’s past his elite seasons of 2016-18, when he averaged 7.5 sacks as an interior disrupter. But he’s still a powerful bull-rusher who can also flatten ball-carriers at the point of attack.
Tim Settle, Commanders: He couldn’t break the stacked Washington starting defensive front, but he produced some quality snaps the past two years. He’s only 25 and shouldn’t command a big number in a one-year “prove-it” deal.
Maurice Hurst, 49ers: Injuries limited this original Raiders fifth-round pick to just two games and 41 snaps in 2021. That makes him affordable. He’s more of a pass rusher from the inside than a run-stopper and is looking to re-charge his career inside a quality defensive front.
Quinton Jefferson, Raiders: He’s looking for his fourth team in four years and is considered a solid rush option as a rotational tackle.
Swing offensive lineman
The loss of Chris Hubbard in Game 1 with a torn triceps had a major impact in 2021. Subsequent injuries to right tackle Jack Conklin accentuated the value of a dependable sixth man on the offensive line. Hubbard’s 2020 season ended with a dislocated kneecap and torn quad muscle. His contract is up and it’s unlikely the Browns would re-invest in Hubbard, who will be 31 in April, given his recent injury history.
Germain Ifedi, Bears: He’s started 83 of 85 career games with the Seahawks and Bears over six seasons. He might not be ready to accept a sixth-man role. If nobody signs him as a starter, he would be a valuable guard and tackle on the right side.
Cornelius Lucas, Commanders: He’s been a career swing tackle his entire eight-year career with five teams. My only question is whether he has the mobility to play in Bill Callahan’s wide-zone scheme.
Dennis Kelley, Packers: He was a godsend to the Packers in 2020 and has played every position but center in his nine NFL seasons. Any team would love him as a sixth man.
Mike Remmers, Chiefs: A nine-year veteran who can play tackle and guard, he had 27 starts in 2017-18 with the Vikings when Kevin Stefanski was on their offensive staff.
Quarterback
If the Browns indeed “run it back” with Baker Mayfield as their starter in 2022, it’s less likely Case Keenum would return as the backup because of a scheduled salary cap number of $8.43 million. I mean, if the Browns wouldn’t play Keenum in key games while Mayfield floundered down the stretch in 2021, what’s the point of paying him more in 2022? So they might seek cheaper alternatives with more arm strength.
Mitchell Trubisky, Bills: His 29-23 record in four years as Bears starter has aged well. Trubisky is the No. 1 candidate to be the next Ryan Tannehill – a defrocked starter who reaches his potential in a new system with a new coach. He is expected to garner serious interest from former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to compete with Giants starter Daniel Jones and reportedly has a standing offer to return to the Bills.
Nick Mullens, Browns: Another questionable decision of the Browns last season was not starting Mullens in the 17th game against the Bengals JV’s. They already knew what Keenum could do. Mullens, 26, is younger and should have gotten a second start to gauge his growth in Stefanski’s offense. Mullens’ emergency start against the Raiders in Game 14 was intriguing. His fourth-quarter TD march in that 16-14 loss to the Raiders might have been the best clutch drive of the season.
