One of the more frustrating things that happens this time of year is the window shopping of free agents for the Cleveland Browns. It’s just too enticing to look at a name — usually one you know — and think about how it slots into the depth chart of the Cleveland Browns. There’s a reason that free agency is one of the least efficient ways to build an NFL football team. Obviously free agency serves an important purpose and is a tool that should be used to some extent every year by every NFL team, but it must be used within reason. And with that, I thought I would discuss some of the names that have been popping up recently as NFL teams start to cut inefficient contracts.
Note: I’m just going to skip quarterback though. That’s an entirely separate post that’s already been written.
Reggie Bush – The Lions cut Reggie Bush in order to save about $1.7 million in cap space. Should the Browns have interest in someone like Reggie Bush? This one’s a maybe, thanks to what the Browns found out about their own guys Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell in 2014. Those rookies combined for over 1200 yards rushing. Depending on the cost, a guy like Reggie Bush could still be a nice weapon for John DeFelippo to have on the roster in 2015. Bush isn’t a guy you want to feature carrying the load, but it’s important to note he had 40 receptions in 2014. That would have been good enough for third on the Browns in receptions in 2014. The key is that Reggie Bush is at the stage of his career that he’s now become a spot weapon. The Browns could use that and if they could get him at their price, it would be pretty interesting.
Ted Ginn – Ted Ginn is available and the Browns have apparently already reached out to some extent. Ginn is an intriguing free agent for the Browns because they struggled so much in the return game in 2014. This is the perfect kind of player to use free agency if you are failing at filling return duties with younger, undrafted players. Even if we’ve long since given up on the idea that Ted Ginn can be an All Pro wide receiver, he will still carry lots of value as a specialist. Much like Reggie Bush, if it comes at the right price, you can consider it. Although, it will always be better to find a young, hungry guy to be your returner, preferably with some potential upside at a starter’s spot. A guy like Ginn is inefficient because you already know his ceiling. The next young candidate like Travis Benjamin is a better bet because there’s always hope that he becomes a starting receiver after earning his keep as a returner.
A.J. Hawk – The Ohio State Buckeye parade doesn’t stop with Ginn. The Packers released A.J. Hawk as well after nine years. The Pack save $3.5 million on the cap with the move. Hawk will probably make some team very happy by coming in and giving them a veteran presence, but it shouldn’t be the Browns. The Browns did this a year ago when they signed Karlos Dansby to a four-year deal. Now Dansby might very well be a cap casualty after the 2015 season as the Browns will be able to save $3.5 million of their own, but they’ll only be in that position because they’ve done alright loading the linebacking corps behind him. Craig Robertson – assuming the Browns are able to get a deal done – will get the first shot to replace Dansby and showed some real promise in relief of Dansby in 2014 when he was hurt. Additionally, Chris Kirksey had a pretty good rookie year and hopefully continues to develop. So no, the Browns don’t need A.J. Hawk.
Cecil Shorts – Why is it that local names always seem to pop up with the Browns? Cecil Shorts went to Collinwood, so if he came to Cleveland it would be a homecoming. That’s not what I’m interested in. I’m interested in a guy who is only 27 and still has some useful years left in his career. I’m interested in a guy who can be a supplement to a receiving corps potentially. Think of him as Nate Burleson with some tread on the tires or gas in the tank. Obviously the Browns need to continue to build their receiving corps on the top side, but that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t use someone in the middle. I’m not sure if this would be mutually exclusive of Miles Austin, but maybe. I don’t know if you want a receiving group that features Austin, Shorts and Andrew Hawkins to go along with Taylor Gabriel. Austin was a huge influence on the younger players (not named Josh Gordon) so that has to be weighed as part of the equation.
Haloti Ngata – I wanted to finish with a bang. Ngata isn’t a free agent… yet. The Ravens are trying to get him to reduce his cap number and if he refuses, there’s a chance the Ravens might be forced to cut the 31-year-old monster in the middle. Should he become a free agent, should the Browns be interested? How many ways can I say yes, emphatically? Ngata isn’t young, but he’s still playing at a really high level. His Pro Football Focus chart from 2014 is so green it practically looks like Kermit the Frog sipping tea. Plus, the added bonus of stealing a key player from a divisional opponent is huge. Imagine Ngata stuffing AFC North runners and pushing up the middle against Ben Roethlisberger twice a year for at least two to three seasons. It’s almost better than Ndamukong Suh.
We’ll save the Suh conversation because I don’t believe Detroit will let him go. There are obviously a lot more free agents to talk about, and depending on how the Browns’ off-season goes, we might have occasion to talk about them to. At this point though, it feels good to have a Browns team that doesn’t leave me gaga for every name that hits the market. The Browns have a burgeoning roster that isn’t screaming for expensive replacement players up and down. Obviously quarterback is a conversation and a half that we will have over and over again, but no need today.
We’ll save that for after Josh McCown making his decision. Isn’t the NFL great? A guy like Josh McCown not only has options, but he gets to make a choice.
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