Browns' musings from the start of NFL free agency

The legal tampering period of NFL free agency has begun. The league year officially begins on Wednesday. The Cleveland Browns have had a fairly busy start to free agency. The team started it off by restructuring quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contract to open up $36 million. The Browns have reportedly signed two big free agents to add to the weakest part of the roster, the defensive line. Cleveland signed edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo formerly of the Houston Texans and interior defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson formerly of the Minnesota Vikings. Besides these two external additions, the team also has reportedly re-signed center Ethan Pocic and linebacker Sione Takitaki. The team is likely far from done. Here are some of my thoughts on what the Browns have done so far and what lies ahead from here.

• The Browns understood the assignment. With their first two additions in free agency, the team addressed the defensive line twice. The defensive line is the weakest area on the entire roster and so it needed some heavy overhauls. The signing of Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Dalvin Tomlinson are two big additions who can produce for this defensive line.
• Okoronkwo is a fun addition by the Browns. He is a player who has been a rotational defender for most of his career so far but has been highly productive in the limited snap counts. According to Next Gen Stats, he had the third-highest pressure rate amongst rushers with at least 200 pass rushes. His career-high 39 pressures last season were 20 more than any other Browns defender last year not named Myles Garrett. The team signed him to a three-year contract at a reasonable price. This signing screams value. With the growing playing time last season, he produced at the highest level of his career so far. So, the Browns are banking on him to continue his upward trajectory while they increase his snap count. I could see him competing for a starting job next season. The team needed to get away from Jadeveon Clowney and finally get a younger edge rusher to pair with Garrett, Okoronkwo has the potential to do that.
• Tomlinson comes and immediately becomes by far the best interior defensive lineman on the roster. He is a big human being with some of the best run-stopping abilities in the league. For a team that could not stop the run to save their lives, the addition of Tomlinson will be a huge aid for the run defense. His presence will help the players around him, especially the linebackers who can be freer due to the attention Tomlinson garners. He is also a player who has improved as a pass rusher throughout his career. He has become a three-down defensive lineman who a team can trust to stay on the field. The Browns need that trustworthy and consistent player in the interior of the defensive line.
• I like that the Browns brought back Ethan Pocic to a long-term contract. He played so well under Bill Callahan. With the stress to win now, the Browns couldn’t risk going with the untested Nick Harris. With Pocic, Cleveland knows what he can do in their system and how well he can play. The Browns didn’t overspend to re-sign him and they get back a player who played at a very high-level last season.
• Sione Takitaki is another solid signing for Cleveland. He fills the strongside linebacker spot well and defends the run well. It is always astute to sign players who can fill roles and not take up a lot of money.
• The Browns still have a major hole at safety. This is the biggest need right now. With John Johnson gone, Cleveland does not have a starting free safety on the roster. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is the best safety left on the board and he would be a home run addition for the Browns. His versatility fits well with Delpit. Jordan Poyer is a veteran option who could fit the need well. Juan Thornhill would be another good pickup at a slightly lesser price than Gardner-Johnson. The Browns almost certainly have to come out of free agency with a starting-level safety.
• The moves on the defensive line should not stop. The Browns signed Tomlinson, but Cleveland needs two starting quality interior defensive linemen. I would not be surprised if the Browns add another interior defensive lineman during the free agency period. The team also could still add another edge rusher to add depth to the rotation. The defensive line is still under construction.
• The linebacker market has been pretty busy already. The Browns did bring Takitaki back, but the team needs to add a starting-level middle linebacker. The team will likely not spend a lot to get this player, but it is needed.
• The wide receiver market has really been slow so far. The Browns likely won’t be huge buyers here, but the team does need to add some speed to the lineup. Cleveland could go through the trade market or draft to fill this need, but there are some nice values in free agency. DJ Chark and Mecole Hardman are two free agents who can add the speed the team needs in the receiver room.