CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns used free agency to add starters at tight end, right tackle, linebacker, slot corner and safety last year. They also had a potential starter at interior defensive line opt out due to the coronavirus.
That’s a lot of key additions for an offseason.
Due to a handful of one-year contacts expiring next week, as well as expiring deals for Olivier Vernon, Terrance Mitchell and Larry Ogunjobi, the Browns could have as many as seven new defensive starters in 2021.
So that’s where the Browns’ free agency moves should focus as the legal tampering period begins on Monday.
As Doug Lesmerises wrote on Thursday, all of us who are involved with our Browns coverage are revealing what we think an ideal free agency experience would look like. Today is my turn, and I’m starting – and staying – on defense.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80) runs for a first down after catching a pass with Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carl Lawson defending during the 2019 season. cleveland.com
Carl Lawson, edge rusher, 4-year contract, $35 million, $8.8 million per year
The big fish among edge rushers is the Buccaneers’ Shaquil Barrett, but he has reportedly begun talks on a long-term deal. So, I’m moving Lawson to the top of the wish list.
The Browns have needs at safety and linebacker, too, but edge rusher makes the most sense for a big free agent splash due to the amount of talent hitting the market, and the way Joe Woods wants his defense to play.
For Woods’ scheme to work, the Browns need to create legitimate pressure up front with four rushers. That’s how the 49ers defense operated when Woods was their defensive backs coach in 2019. The 49ers blitzed only 20 percent of the time, ranked 29th. But they were second in pressure percentage thanks to a scary front four.
The Browns tried to use that formula in 2020 and it didn’t work. Even with Myles Garrett on the line, the Browns were 24th in pressure percentage. It was clear that Woods wanted his front four to mimic the 49ers because the Browns were 30th in blitz percentage.
That’s why putting big dollars into edge rusher makes sense.
Paired with Carlos Dunlap as a rookie in Cincinnati, Lawson had 8.5 sacks and 59 pressures. He did that on just 361 pass-rush snaps. For comparison, Garrett had 56 pressures on 468 pass-rush snaps last season.
Lawson’s pass-rush productivity rating from the right side (where he had 343 snaps) was 9.9, ranked ninth among edge rushers in 2017.
He finally became a full-time starter in 2020 and totaled 5.5 sacks and 64 pressures (ranked fourth among edge rushers). His PRP from the right side was 8.7 (ranked 10th) on a bad Bengals defense that was among the worst in producing pressure.
While Lawson has mostly rushed against left tackles, this still fits with the Browns’ scheme because Garrett has transitioned into a more versatile rusher. While he leaned toward the right side in snaps by a 60-40 percentage the last two seasons, Garrett had more rushes from the left side (vs. right tackles) over the first nine weeks in 2020 before landing on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The hope, of course, is that pairing Lawson with Garrett will unlock his potential and make the Browns’ front four more menacing. Based on what we know about Woods’ scheme, it’s a hope worth paying for.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry has a pass batted away by Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton (28) during a game in 2019. cleveland.com
Mike Hilton, slot corner, 3-year contract, $23 million, $7.5 million per year
The Browns signed Kevin Johnson to a one-year deal and hoped to get his best version. They didn’t.
Johnson got his most snaps since his rookie season, but finished 2020 with a PFF coverage grade of 52.6, his third lowest in six seasons, and far below his 73.6 with the Bills in 2019. Hilton will cost more, but slot corner is a spot the Browns should be willing to pay for. They faced 11 personnel, which has three wide receivers on the field, 70 percent of the time last season. The league average is 60 percent.
So, having quality at slot corner is important.
Hilton’s PFF coverage grade last season with the Steelers was 62.0, but that was after three straight seasons of at least 72.0. He’s also been in the top 10 among cornerbacks in defensive stops (a tackle that constitutes a failure for the offense) each year of his career.
At the end of the day, you’re also taking a player away from the Steelers. So there’s that, too.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Terrance Mitchell (39) breaks up a pass intended for New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims during the 2020 season. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Terrance Mitchell, cornerback, 2-year contract, $9 million, $4.5 million per year
Mitchell is at the top of my list of free agents the Browns should retain. We’ve seen the importance of depth at corner the last two seasons. Injuries led to Mitchell starting four games in 2019, then every game last season. His snap total from 2020 was almost 40 percent of his career total.
The ideal situation is for Greedy Williams to return and start opposite Denzel Ward. But having Mitchell in your back pocket has a lot of value. Especially on a team where Williams and Ward have yet to play more than 12 games in a season as pros.
The Browns could certainly get somebody else in free agency to do what Mitchell did last season. He ranked 31st among corners in Pro Football Focus defensive grade. But having familiarity with the scheme counts for something, as does Mitchell’s reliability.
Indianapolis Colts safety Malik Hooker (29) follows a play during a game against the the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2019 season.
AP
Malik Hooker, safety, 1-year contract, $2 million
Safety is a lot like cornerback for the Browns. There’s an ideal situation, and it involves a player already on the roster living up to his potential. At cornerback, it’s Williams. At safety, it’s Grant Delpit, who also lost last season to injury.
The pairing of Delpit and Ronnie Harrison at safety sounds pretty good. It certainly figures to be an upgrade over the Andrew Sendejo/Karl Joseph combo the Browns used for most of last season.
There’s a valid argument for re-signing Joseph. But even if that happens, Hooker makes sense as a cheap option in need of a new start. Quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 86.2 against Hooker over his four seasons with the Colts, and he has never had a single season PFF coverage grade below 65.0.
Injuries have been an issue for Hooker, who played just two games last season after a torn Achilles. But a one-year prove it deal in a year when the salary cap is squeezed might be a smart move for the Browns at safety.
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