Browns Get off to Good Start in Free Agency
Wednesday marked the start of free agency for the NFL, but teams had already started to make big signings, questionable moves, and league changing acquisitions by Monday. Coming off a 6-10 record, the Cleveland Browns needed to address some holes before draft day. In my opinion, Cleveland did an excellent job using the large amount of cap space they had ($61M) to make smart moves. Let’s dig into the moves they have already started to make and what is next.
Browns take top TE off the market with a record deal
To start off the day, the Cleveland Browns made a huge splash, signing tight end Austin Hooper to a multi-year extension. The Pro Bowl tight end signed a four-year deal for $44M, $23M being guaranteed, which is the biggest annual salary in NFL history for a tight end. Hooper, who played his first four seasons (2016-2019) with the Atlanta Falcons, emerged as one of the league's top tight ends. In his career, Hooper has played in 59 games, scored 16 touchdowns, and has 214 catches. Of those 214, 146 have come in the last two seasons. This is a great move for the Browns and Baker Mayfield, who loves to throw to his tight ends. In 2019, of his 22 touchdowns, 9 of those were thrown to a tight end. Adding Hooper would only add to this trend, especially if David Njoku comes back healthy, giving Cleveland one of the top tight end tandems in the league. It gets even better when you add Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt to that mix. Kevin Stefanski loves to use tight ends also, using Kyle Rudolph at a premium in Minnesota. Not to mention it will help the play action game and the running game too. While this move shocked a lot of people, it made a lot of sense for the offense that the Browns are going to run.
Jack Conklin chooses Cleveland, gets big deal
While the Austin Hooper move was great, the deal that will benefit Cleveland the most is the signing of Jack Conklin. Conklin, 25, who played his first four seasons with the Tennessee Titans, has been a staple on the right side of their offensive line, earning All-Pro honors in his rookie season. Conklin’s deal is for three years/ $42M, with $30M being guaranteed. The reason I feel this move will benefit more than the Austin Hooper is simple, to protect Baker Mayfield. Last season, Mayfield was on his back way too often, and looked very uncomfortable in the pocket on way too many throws. Adding Conklin will help Mayfield feel more comfortable in the pocket, which will help his decision making and accuracy on his throws. This can benefit the running game too. Whether it is Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt, the Browns are going to be able to run the ball even more efficiently than they did last season, and that is how the Browns are going to win in 2020. If Conklin can shore up the right side of the offensive line with J.C. Tretter and Joel Bitonio next to him, Cleveland has a chance to have a very strong offensive line in 2020.
Keenum strikes a deal with the Browns
While not the biggest splash, the Browns signed Case Keenum to a three-year deal. The deal is for $18M, with $10M being guaranteed. Keenum, who is a well-respected veteran quarterback, will most likely be the backup to Baker Mayfield in 2020. While not the most glamorous move, this is a pretty good move for Cleveland. It is eating up very little cap space, and he will be a very good mentor and help Baker grow into a good NFL quarterback.
What is Next?
With all the moves being made, there are still some places that Cleveland may address. For the offensive line, they most likely won’t go through free agency, but will rather draft a guy like Andrew Thomas or Jedrick Wills. For skill positions, the Browns are pretty much set, but on the defensive side of the ball is where they may do their most work. There are a few holes at the linebacker position with the departures of Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert, so signing a guy like Dante Fowler may make sense to team up with young linebacker Mack Wilson. Look for Cleveland to add depth at this position through the draft too, along with a move or two to help the secondary.
Contract information according to NFL.com. Statistics according to profootballreference.com.
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