Speaking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine last month, Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey downplayed how aggressive his team will be in the upcoming offseason.
“I don’t think we’re a team yet to ‘go for it,’” Dorsey said. "We have a young, talented team. Let’s build a foundation here. Let’s build a team of substance, okay? But we’re not done yet in terms of getting this thing right.
“I’m not going to go out and go waste a whole bunch of money, because I have to think three and four years down the road. I just can’t think for the immediate future as well. I’ve got to think three or four years.”
Dorsey's actions, however, have suggested otherwise.
Although the league's free agent negotiating window (or "legal tampering") doesn't begin until noon on Monday, with new league year beginning Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, Dorsey has already taken a proactive -- and arguably aggressive -- approach to improving his team.
Last month, the Browns signed running back Kareem Hunt, who had been released by the Kansas City Chiefs as the result of off-field issues. On Friday, Cleveland agreed to a trade sending guard Kevin Zeitler to the New York Giants in exchange for pass-rusher Olivier Vernon.
With those two moves alone, the Browns have added two more Pro Bowl players to their roster than they possessed at the end of the 2018 season. That sure doesn't sound like a general manager prepared for a conservative offseason.
Further evidence suggests Dorsey might just be warming up.
As of Monday, Cleveland possesses the fifth-most cap space in the league with more than $68 million available to spend. The Browns also lay claim to 10 picks in the 2019 draft, including multiple selections in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.
Suffice to say, if Dorsey does decide to "go for it," he'll have plenty of ammo to do so.
Factor in Dorsey's track record -- last year he acquired wide receiver Jarvis Landry, quarterback Tyrod Taylor and defensive back Damarious Randall in three separate trades in a matter of hours -- and there's reason to believe his attempt to downplay his approach may have just been "GM-speak." Coming off a 7-8-1 season -- and with multiple young stars tied up to team-friendly rookie deals -- Cleveland appears poised to make a sizable step in the weeks to come.
With that in mind, here's everything you need to know about the Browns as it relates to free agency and the offseason to come:
Biggest needs
Although Cleveland is in a much better place than it was a year ago, some sizable holes still exist on its roster. In particular, the Browns could stand to add a space-eating defensive tackle to pair next to playmaker Larry Ogunjobi, a playmaker to a currently solid, but unspectacular, linebacking corps and more depth -- perhaps even a starter -- at cornerback.
Depending on how it goes about retaining its own free agents -- more on that later -- Cleveland could also stand both upgrades and additions at wide receiver and is currently lacking in depth on the offensive line. And despite Dorsey's confidence in Drew Stanton, it probably makes sense for the Browns to add a veteran quarterback behind Baker Mayfield as well.
In order, Cleveland's top offseason needs appear to be:
- Defensive tackle
- Cornerback
- Wide receiver
- Linebacker
- Offensive line depth
- Backup quarterback
- Pass rusher
Top targets
With leaks out of Berea having seemingly been plugged -- ex: Vernon wasn't publicly linked to the Browns until they agreed to trade for him -- it isn't hard to look at a list of the top available free agents and see who Dorsey will likely be interested in based on his team's needs.
As a result, don't be surprised to see the following names linked to Cleveland in the coming days (most recent team in parenthesis):
- LB Anthony Barr (Minnesota Vikings)
- LB C.J. Mosley (Baltimore Ravens)
- LB Preston Smith (Washington Redskins)
- LB Za'Darius Smith (Baltimore Ravens)
- WR Tyrell Williams (Los Angeles Chargers)
- DT Ndamukong Suh (Los Angeles Rams)
- CB Ronald Darby (Philadelphia Eagles)
- FS Lamarcus Joyner (Los Angeles Rams)
- CB Darqueze Dennard (Cincinnati Bengals)
- CB Bradley Roby (Denver Broncos)
- LB Jordan Hicks (Philadelphia Eagles)
Additionally, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Browns target a trade with a team for a franchise tagged player, just as they did with Landry last year. Such potential targets could include: Atlanta Falcons DT Grady Jarrett, Seattle Seahawks DE Frank Clark and Kansas City Chiefs OLB Dee Ford.
Own free agents
In addition to bringing in new players, the Browns will have to make decisions on whether or not to re-sign some of their own free agents, including:
- WR Rashard Higgins
- DT Trevon Coley
- DB Jermaine Whitehead
Unrestricted free agents
- QB Tyrod Taylor
- CB E.J. Gaines
- LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
- OG Earl Watford
- CB Phillip Gaines
- TE/FB Orson Charles
- WR Rod Streater
- DT Carl Davis
- WR Breshad Perriman
- DB Juston Burris
- DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
Of their own free agents, re-signing Higgins and Perriman would seem to be the Browns' priority and could eliminate the need for the team to prioritize wide receiver in both the draft and/or free agency. The team's decision to not place a free agent tender on the versatile Boddy-Calhoun was also telling and could indicate Dorsey has big plans to upgrade his defensive backfield in the weeks to come.
