The NFL Draft may not be until April 27th. But Andrew Berry and the rest of the Browns brass continue to fill the Browns' needs through Free Agency. Most of the major moves made so far have been used to fill depth in the defensive line, as the team's top offseason priority has been to improve what was an awful run defense last season.
Bolstering the Defensive Line
Currently, Cleveland has signed four new defensive linemen: Maurice Hurst, Trysten Hill, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Dalvin Tomlinson. Okoronkwo and Tomlinson are both expected to be run stoppers, with the 325-pound Tomlinson plugging up the middle of the line as the team's starting nose tackle, and Okoronkwo is expected to start on the opposite end of the line from Myles Garrett as a bookend pass rusher.
Hurst and Hill are pickups solely to increase the depth of the defensive line. Hill has a history of injuries during his time with the previous teams in his career (Cowboys and Cardinals), but if he revives his career in Cleveland, he could be a nice plug and play situational player on defense. Hurst also has a bit of an injury history from his time with the Raiders and 49ers, but he can be a serviceable defensive lineman if he stays healthy. If he can stay on the field, that will allow Jim Schwartz to rotate fresh players into his scheme, which will keep the defensive line fresher as a whole, and will hopefully keep the injuries down for the most part.
Every team suffers injuries during an NFL season. It's just part of an inherently violent game. But for the last several seasons, it seems like the Browns have been bitten by the injury bug far more than normal, or that the injuries come at the worst times. Depth helps to guard against the possibility of an injury bug ruining a potentially promising or great season.
Retooling the Wide Receiver Corps
The Browns have also beefed up their wide receiver room by adding Marquise Goodwin and Elijah Moore. I love these moves! Are they particularly flashy? No. But they will add more talent to an already loaded receiving corps, with Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and David Bell. The Browns look like they will now have a mix of not only reliable receivers, but fast ones too! Defenses will now have to not only have to worry about Amari Cooper burning them, but now they'll have to cover Moore and Goodwin.
Cleveland may have their 1-2 punch that can blow the lid off opposing defenses. We all know what Amari Cooper can do in space. But Moore and Goodwin can both be blazing fast! Moore ran a 4.32 40 before he was drafted and has maintained that kind of speed since. Plus working with veterans like Cooper and Goodwin could help Moore learn the finer points of creating separation from defensive backs, and getting open, which will only make things easier for Deshaun Watson.
One would think that Cleveland now has the defensive line and wide receiver needs taken care of, but it would not surprise me if the Browns drafted another wideout in a month. But so far I'm liking these moves in Free Agency. Andrew Berry and the Browns front office has operated with a sense of urgency. They know what's at stake. Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski probably are both on the chopping block if they fail this season. Not to mention the first year of Deshaun Watson's massive contract kicks in this season. There is absolutely no reason the Browns can't compete for big things this year. Do I expect them to seriously chase the Super Bowl? No. But a return to the playoffs, and potentially dethroning the Bengals in the AFC North would be nice!
Some other Free Agency moves are:
Signings:
LB Matthew Adams
QB Josh Dobbs
TE Jordan Akins
CB Mike Ford
CB AJ Green (re-signed)
LB Jordan Kunaszyk (re-signed)
LB Anthony Walker (re-signed)
C Ethan Pocic (re-signed)
LB Sione Takitaki (re-signed)
Departures:
QB Jacoby Brisset (Commanders)
DT Taven Bryan (Colts)
LB Tae Davis (Falcons)
G Hjalte Froholdt (Cardinals)
CB Greedy Williams (Eagles)
DE Chase Winovich (Texans)
RB D'Ernest Johnson (Jaguars)
Key Free Agents yet to re-sign/leave
RB Kareem Hunt
S Ronnie Harrison
TE Pharaoh Brown
T Chris Hubbard
LB Deion Jones
Sources: clevelandbrowns.com, Dawgs by Nature, Yahoo Sports
Picture Credit: Jori Skowronski
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