Something important comes to the Cleveland Browns on defense. I can hear it. GM Andrew Berry and the Browns usually do a masterful job of hiding their hand, but on that front, it feels like they’ve shown they want to make a shot with DE’s starting spot against Myles Garrett.
Maybe I’m just drinking too much of the tea leaves, but it’s hard not to read all the Berry & Co. signs.
And it even goes back to the last low season. Remember Jadeveon Clowney’s repeated courtship? The Browns were lucky enough to avoid that disappointment, but it wasn’t for lack of trying to sign the big DE ticket.
They tried again – supposedly – with JJ Watt. While no exact details have ever been confirmed, numerous reputable outlets had the Browns as one of the top teams trying to lure the former Texans star. He also decided to go to Arizona, with a bigger contract than expected.
They released Adrian Clayborn on Tuesday. Last year’s DE No. 3 is 32 and didn’t make a big impact on the Browns in their season in Cleveland, but was picked as a starter against Garrett. With Olivier Vernon, a pending free agent and also in the early stages of recovering a torn Achilles, Clayborn’s spill leaves only Porter Gustin and Joe Jackson in that position.
Nothing against Gustin or Jackson, but it’s hard to predict that any of them will be more than situational subsistence for the defense of a legitimate candidate. Removing Clayborn from the books frees up $ 3 million more to spend on someone who may be an impact artist on a Browns team that has legitimate candidate status.
The big question now is: what is the measure?
Is he a prominent veteran free agent, someone like Carl Lawson of Cincinnati or Shaq Barrett of Tampa Bay? The Browns have the cover room to make it a reality and the appeal of being a worthy landing site for a ring hunter.
Or will it be a draft? The pass-rush class has no outstanding elite of any kind, none projecting so much above the overall 11-20 rank. The Browns are currently at No. 26. Players like Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari, Tulsa’s versatile Zaven Collins or cheeky Penn State athlete Jayson Oweh should be considered. Berry and the Browns have ammunition to change if they also consider a specific target.
It will be fun to see how it develops and who ends up being the new starting defensive end. Expect it to be a significant move, regardless of the direction the Browns are turning. They have arranged too many crumbs of bread for this track not to result in a big party.