The Cleveland Browns front office wasted little time making moves this offseason.
They’ve already made some impactful signings on the defensive side of the ball.
This defense could certainly use a spark after watching them last season.
Plenty of the “big name” free agents are already off the board.
However, there are still a handful of useful options available that the Browns could target.
3. DE Jadeveon Clowney
At this point, it’s beginning to sound like a broken record.
The Browns have been linked to defensive end Jadeveon Clowney since last season.
They reportedly offered him a one-year $15 million deal and he turned it down and signed elsewhere.
A year later, he’s back in free agency and remains unsigned.
Browns fans probably don’t want to admit it, but Clowney could be a potential fit for Cleveland.
There is an obvious need for another pass rusher after the departure of Olivier Vernon.
Clowney has recorded 32 career sacks over his seven seasons in the NFL.
The three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher isn’t going to live up to the expectations of being drafted No. 1 overall.
However, he can still be an impactful player when he’s actually healthy.
The biggest problem has been Clowney continues to get injured.
Last season, he only played in eight games for the Tennessee Titans.
His value has certainly dropped, so the Browns might be able to land Clowney for a fairly cheap deal.
2. CB Adoree’ Jackson
In 2017, the Titans used the No. 18 overall pick to select defensive back Adoree’ Jackson.
He spent each of the last four seasons with Tennessee, but was recently cut by the organization.
It was a bit of a curious move by the Titans who already accepted Jackson’s fifth-year option.
Titans announced they released CB Adoree Jackson. Interesting because they picked up his fifth-year option last year but now rescind it. Jackson's draft class (2017) is the last one for which teams can do this. From 2018 class on, options fully guaranteed at time of execution.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 16, 2021
Regardless, Jackson will hit the open market and immediately become one of the best players available.
Through four seasons, Jackson has already recorded two seasons with 70 tackles or more.
During his rookie campaign, Jackson finished with an impressive 17 passes defended.
Much like Clowney, Jackson is likely never going to live up to the hype of being drafted in the first round.
Nonetheless, he is a productive player that would certainly be an upgrade to the Browns secondary.
Jackson only played in three games last season, which could be part of the reason he was cut.
Despite that, the Browns should at least kick the tires on Jackson in free agency.
1. CB Kyle Fuller
There are other options available in the secondary, assuming the Browns don’t sign Jackson.
One of them being two-time Pro Bowl defensive back Kyle Fuller.
The Chicago Bears surprisingly decided to cut Fuller in order to save cap space.
The #Bears are releasing veteran CB Kyle Fuller, sources say, a cap casualty. In a tough 2021 offseason, this is Chicago’s only cut due to cap space. A former All-Pro corner now hits the market.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2021
He is certainly going to draw plenty of attention on the open market.
Since being drafted in 2014, Fuller has played a full 16-game season each year.
Fuller has 19 career interceptions and has recorded 55 tackles or more in every season of his professional career.
He is a star defensive back and would look perfect alongside Denzel Ward in the Browns secondary.
Obviously, Fuller is going to demand a fairly significant salary, but normally that’s what happens when you’re a top tier player.
The Browns front office would have to open up their wallet to sign Fuller, but he’d certainly make their defense a significant threat.
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