Two years ago, the Browns held a triumphant press conference after closing a deal to acquire Odell Beckham Jr. After the deal, Myles Garrett said the Browns were “absolutely” the best team in AFC North. Coming out of a surprising 2018 season, in which the Browns won five of the last seven games, it was difficult to argue against the Browns’ pass rusher.
Things did not materialize for the Browns in 2019. Dysfunctions within the facility contributed largely to Cleveland’s disappointing 6-10 record. To their credit, the Browns recovered from a very successful season in 2020, which included the franchise’s first playoff victory in more than a quarter of a century. The icing on the cake was the fact that the Browns’ win in the playoff was against the Steelers, a franchise that has been winning over Cleveland since the 1990s.
While none of their hires in 2020 generated the buzz that Beckham’s trade did, the Browns made several major acquisitions that contributed to the success of last season. Among these acquisitions were the signings of striker Jack Conklin, tight end Austin Hooper, linebacker BJ Goodson and safety Karl Joseph. The Browns also found a jewel in the draft on the left tackle Jedrick Wills, who became an immediate holder, helping to protect the side of Baker Mayfield’s band.
With the draft still several weeks away, we decided to assess the success of each AFC Norte team during the first two weeks of free agency. Let’s start with Cleveland, where Browns fans started preparing for a possible race in the Super Bowl.
Browns
Best signature: S John Johnson III
The Browns wanted to strengthen their secondary after finishing 22nd in the league in defense of passes in 2020. Cleveland certainly did this with the signings of safety John Johnson III and cornerback Troy Hill. Former teammates in Los Angeles, Johnson and Hill helped the Rams to boast the league’s best pass defense in 2020. Johnson can start in any safety position, while Hill will complement the Browns’ starting cornerback, Denzel Ward.
Cleveland also achieved his goal of maintaining Rashard Higgins when he signed with the veteran recipient for a $ 2.38 million contract. The team’s second biggest receiver last season, Higgins is expected to continue to find a role in the Browns’ attack, even as Beckham returned from his knee injury last season.
If these moves were not enough, the Browns added significant depth with the signings of Takk McKinley, Malik Jackson and Anthony Walker. The Browns recently met Jadeveon Clowney, who is likely to replace Olivier Vernon’s production for 2020. If Cleveland manages to hire Clowney, the Browns would have gotten a nearly perfect free agency.
Grade A
Best signature: DE Trey Hendrickson
Cincinnati has separated from several key players, including cornerback William Jackson III, defensive tackle Geno Atkins, linebacker Carl Lawson and receiver AJ Green. Cincinnati replaced Jackson with former Cowboys cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and former Steeler Mike Hilton, one of the NFL’s best slotback cornerbacks. They replaced Lawson with former Saints player Trey Hendrickson, who won at the end of a $ 60 million contract for four years after setting his career record for 13.5 sacks last season. Time will tell if Hendrickson can continue this production in Cincinnati.
The Bengals have yet to find a veteran receiver who can replace Green, one of the greatest players in the franchise’s history. They allegedly offered Kenny Golladay a contract offer before Golladay finally signed with the Giants. Cincinnati still has several large solid veterans they can hire (Sammy Watkins and Antonio Brown are among them), but they will have to move quickly to acquire one.
Cincinnati added to its offensive line – a must – by hiring the ex-Vikings to face Riley Reiff. And while Reiff is a solid player, Bengals has now had the chance to sign one of the most available line players at the free agency, a list of players that includes Trent Williams, Joe Thuney and Alejandro Villanueva. Cincinnati’s score will increase if they manage to land former rusher Ryan Kerrigan from the Washington pass, who was supposed to meet the Bengals.
Grade: C
Largest signature: G Kevin Zeitler
Baltimore suffered heavy losses as linebackers Jihad Ward, Yannick Ngakoue, Matthew Judon and pivot Matt Skura left. Baltimore minimized the damage to the linebacker by rehiring Tyus Bowser and Pernell McPhee. The Ravens also managed to keep Derek Wolfe on defense. Baltimore’s best free agent hire so far is offensive guard Kevin Zeitler, a player the Ravens certainly hope can be a better substitute for Marshal Yanda, who retired after the 2019 season.
Like Cincinnati, the Ravens missed a chance to sign with Golladay after meeting with the veteran recipient last week. Baltimore has not yet hired a veteran receiver who can help complement Marquise Brown. Baltimore was also unable to attract JuJu Smith-Schuster from Pittsburgh. The Ravens are said to have turned their attention to Sammy Watkins, who recently helped the Chiefs reach the consecutive Super Bowls.
Seek out the Ravens to deal with Skura’s loss during the first round of the draft, especially if Landon Dickerson of Alabama and / or Creed Humphrey of Oklahoma are on the board when Baltimore is on the clock. When it comes to the pass rusher, don’t be surprised if Baltimore meets this need at the free agency, as well as during recruitment. Among the top remaining pass brokers at the free agency include Jadeveon Clowney, Carlos Dunlap, Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram, Ryan Kerrigan, Aldon Smith and Olivier Vernon.
Grade: C
thieves
Biggest signature: Joe Haeg
The good news? Steelers hired JuJu Smith-Schuster for a very affordable $ 8 million. The bad news? Pittsburgh bid farewell to former defensive starers Bud Dupree, Tyson Alualu, Vince Williams and Steven Nelson. They also saw Mike Hilton sign with the Bengals. Add Maurkice Pouncey’s retirement and the Steelers have urgent needs at the center, tackle, guard, nose tackle and both linebacker positions.
Together with Smith-Schuster, the Steelers were able to keep some of their agents free from within. The list includes cornerback Cam Sutton, forwards JC Hassenauer and Zach Banner, linebacker Marcus Allen and defensive side Chris Wormley. Pittsburgh also acquired former Buccaneer lineman Joe Haeg, former Lions linebacker Miles Killebrew and center / point guard BJ Finney, who spent his first four active seasons at Steelers.
If they want, the Steelers still have the option of rehiring longtime left striker Alejandro Villanueva, who remains on the open market. Regardless, look for the Steelers to acquire a new left tackle through the draft. Pittsburgh will also be on the market for a new running back, as James Conner remains out of contract. The Steelers recently made contact with Clemson’s Travis Etienne, the best-placed running back in the CBS Sports ranking. Another initial option in the running back is Najee Harris, who last season helped Alabama win its sixth national title with coach Nick Saban.
Pittsburgh lost some important players, but there is still Ben Roethlisberger, who next season will be armed with one of the most important reception teams in the league. They also have the TJ Watt star pass rusher, several Pro Bowl Cam Heyward defensive tackles, several Pro Bowl cornerbacks Joe Haden and All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. If they can fill in the gaps that were recently created in the free agency, Steelers’ free agency 2021 will be seen in a more favorable light next year.
Note: C +