The Cleveland Browns entered the offseason with two significant needs.
They needed to add more depth to the wide receiver room, and they should give Dalvin Tomlison some help in the interior of the defense.
Some analysts, such as Tony Grossi, urged the team to make a run at Chris Jones.
However, he’s already reached an agreement with the Kansas City Chiefs for a very lucrative contract extension.
With that in mind, The Chronicle-Telegram’s Scott Petrak recently stated the Browns should now go after the second-best defensive tackle in the free-agent market (via Scott Petrak ct on Twitter).
ICYMI, #Browns Analysis: Perfect plan for free agency starts with signing Christian Wilkins, building NFL’s scariest front four https://t.co/jFT2pFczcK
— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) March 11, 2024
He advocated for Christian Wilkins to be their next target, and it makes plenty of sense.
For starters, he used to be teammates with Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson, and they both have the same agent, so there’s an obvious connection there.
On top of that, Wilkins is a physical presence inside, a dominant force against the run, and an ever-improving player in terms of getting to the quarterback.
Wilkins is coming off posting nine sacks and 23 quarterback hits for the Miami Dolphins last season.
The Browns need to give Tomlinson some help, which would obviously translate into an easier job for Myles Garrett as well.
Garrett ran away with NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors this past season despite dealing with double and triple teams, and Cleveland adding two defensive tackles that could force the quarterback to roll to his side could help take his numbers to the next level.
The Browns need to break the bank and get Wilkins on their 2024 roster.
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