The first day of the NFL-free agency, popularly known as the legal tampering period, ended without much activity from the Cleveland Browns. GM Andrew Berry and the Browns have taken a big step to agree with John Johnson, but he’s the only player to come in after the first day.
The Browns still need a pass rusher to face Myles Garrett, a position that many expected Cleveland to address prominently in the free agency. That did not happen on the first day, a time when there was a frenzy for passers in the league.
Some of the deals are crazy money, contracts that the Browns are smart about not competing with or trading. A few key potential targets for Cleveland ended up getting more money from other teams than the Browns would have rationally spent.
Take Trey Hendrickson. The Saints standout is heading to Cincinnati for $ 60 million over four years. That’s a huge amount of money for a player with 20 pockets in four seasons. More than half – to be exact – came in his contract season while playing almost exclusively in passing.
Would Hendrickson help the Browns? Absolutely. But at that price? This could contribute to any potential expansion of Baker Mayfield, or other ways the team should spend to keep the core of the emerging young candidate intact.
Hendrickson replaces Carl Lawson in Cincinnati. Lawson would have looked good in a brown uniform, no doubt about it. But he’s PAID by the Jets,
For the #Jets and Carl Lawson: 3 years, $ 45 million with $ 30 million guaranteed. Up to $ 47.4 million. Great deal. https://t.co/JbL2TsViT0
– Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) 16 March 2021
An amount of $ 15 million per year to the no. 2 for Garrett to be in Cleveland is simply not a viable option, at least not long term. It’s hard to justify paying so much for a second violin. Someone who can order that kind of contract probably won’t be a second violin too long either.
There were some great deals to chase on Monday:
Pass-rushers …
Shaq Barrett: 4 years, $ 68 million
Bud Dupree: 5 years, $ 82.5 million
Trey Hendrickson: 4 years, $ 60 million
Matt Judon: 4 years, $ 56 million
Carl Lawson: 3 years, $ 45 million
Leonard Floyd: 4 years, $ 64 million
Yannick Ngakoue: 2 years, $ 26 million
Romeo Okwara: 3 years, $ 39 million* Structure / guarantees always tell the full story.
– NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) 16 March 2021
Olivier Vernon had to take a pay cut last season to stay at Cleveland and it worked out happily for both sides. Expect the Browns to learn from experience that the highest salary is not necessary to achieve the kind of pass-rush production and level of overall play that Vernon offered in 2020.
The Browns showed great interest in guys like Jadeveon Clowney and JJ Watt during the Berry reign at GM. Clowney is still out there a year after failing to carve a single bag; hopefully that infatuation has faded.
The market should now establish. Fewer teams need beginners at the position, and the amount of teams that can pay for the top remaining guys is also much lower than at the beginning of the legal mess period. The remaining names are not premium players, but it looks like the Browns are good at not paying two premium defense purposes. Among those still left who can help the Browns:
- Thanks McKinley
- Tarell Basham
- Haason Reddick
- Carlos Dunlap
There’s also the concept next month, and the Browns are sitting in the first round of a series where they will be able to get an instant appetizer at EDGE, if they so choose. It’s not time to panic – it’s one day after all – and Berry and the Browns are smart enough and patient to get the market to them.