What Would YOU Do in Free Agency?

[Brown Warrior]

The Browns are gonna be spending a lot of money on free agents. With the short time period, some are suggesting that "familiar players" (Rams, Eagles, Seahawks, former Browns, WCO) make a lot of sense.

The most obvious starting spots available (to me) seem to be FS, LDE, RT, and WR. I'm not suggesting that we don't have anybody to play those spots (Adams, Mitchell, Pashos/Pinkston, Mo/Robo/Little), but that they appear to be the most glaring points of weakness or uncertainty. We ostensibly have LB starters in Jackson, Gocong, and Fujita, but we're laughably thin there.

When all the dust clear, the Browns will have signed as many as 15 guys to come to camp (including UDFA), but probably only 5-6 who are realistic candidates to start.

So who would be your Top 10 Free Agency Targets?

[Flugel]

Learn from the mistakes of Daniel Snyder, Mike Brown, Jerry Jones and Phil Savage.

Staying crack-free, I'd make Right Tackle priority #1. Then I'd think about adding upside to our dline rotation, LBer Corps, and Secondary. I'd do alot of research with the WR position and see if there's a guy that sees Cleveland in the SAME light Peyton Hillis saw Cleveland (as opportunity to play his best football in an area). More specifically, I don't want assholes like Donte Stallworth, Braylon Edwards or Antonio Bryant.

[Brown Warrior]

As usual, Walter is an incredible resource.

WalterFootball.com: 2011 NFL Free Agents - Safeties

[Alo]

I watched a few Bucs games and came away quite smitten with OLB Quincy Black. Coming out of college, Black was considered a better athlete than football player (4.42 40, 41.5" vert), but he's done a great job of refining his game. He's fast on the field, hustles to chase down ball-carriers and rarely has his tackles broken. Also stays low to get leverage and has the strong hands to shed blocks. Kinda looks like what folks were expecting to see from Aaron Curry.

Matt Williamson loves him too:

Black is up for free agency, as is MLB Barrett Ruud, so the Bucs used a third-round pick on Mason Foster. Foster could conceivably play any of the three linebacker spots in Tampa Bay’s defense, but I see his best fit in the middle. I think the Buccaneers agree with me and will do everything possible to keep Black, even though he isn’t as well known as Ruud. That would be the wise move, because Black is an up-and-comer who has exceptional range and playmaking skills. He does everything well and never should come off the field. Black is the perfect fit in this defense and could be poised to excel behind Tampa’s young and ultra-talented defensive line. If there is a choice to be made between Black and Ruud, the answer is a very simple one: Black.

[Brown Warrior]

Interesting, because I was kind hot on Mason Foster. Hopefully he makes Black available. Thanks, A2.

[Brown Warrior]

Based on what Alo and Matt W. just said, my wish list on defense would be Weddle, Edwards, and Black. I would guess that we'd still add another linebacker for depth.

Alo, if you added one RT and one WR in free agency, who would you go with?

[Sez.EJ]

Go on a spending frenzy. I'd only bring in eleven or so.
One RT
2 DE
1 DT
2 WR
2 LB
1 CB
1 S
1 RB
and a partridge in a pear tree.

The most important free agent.. Resign Joe Thomas right now..so he can't become one.
I know the Browns are not brining in 11 free agents..but the question was what would 'I' do. I would probably bring in 5-6 udfa's on top of that too.

[Alo]

My FA favorites are Charles Johnson (big gap for me between him & Ray Edwards), Tyson Clabo, and Quincy Black. The Browns likely won't bring in any of them and almost certainly won't get more than one.

A healthy Steve Smith would be my top WR: a reliable sure-handed guy who'd be a good influence on Greg Little. I feel like that's what the team needs, which excludes Mike Sims-Walker and James Jones (looks like he's got some attitude issues too).

Also, a FA addition would push one of the younguns off the roster -- likely Robo or Mitchell -- so the FO needs to be careful that it's the right guy. That could explain why the team's saying they won't add another wideout: they may only be interested in one or two FAs who don't see Cleveland as any more than a fallback option (Smith has said he doesn't want to leave the Giants).

[Riffer X]

I see the Browns bringing in another Engram type for camp insurance due to injury or if one of the younguns has really regressed. That way, they can cut the guy and there won't have been a heavy investment or a need to give a guy undeserving a roster spot.

They have to be careful here, because it is way too soon to give up on someone with Mitchell's upside or a guy like Robo who could be a very steady guy in this WCO.

[Sez.EJ]

I oppose the use of the word "younguns," when referring to our WR's.. capgun, squirtgun, popgun, bbgun, or blankgun would be more accurate.. Youngun sounds threatening.. I have yet to our WRs threaten anything but our ability to win games..

I'm trying to be optimistic.. However, Momass is the only returning starter I have any real belief in to get better, and be a difference maker. I am not sure Robo even makes the roster this year. I know he can catch like crazay, but can he get open. Mitchell and Norwood will make him expendable. Momass, Little, and probably Mitchell will be our starting 3 WR's this year. Hagarty is 4 with Cribbs as the 5th guy. I hope Robo can prove me wrong. If we bring in a free agent... Cribbs might be gone too. We drafted his replacement as a returner.. and the NFL rules have neutered him a bit too.

Charles Johnson, Tyson Clabo, and Quincy Black... I agree.. all excellent pickups.. We would be fortunate to get even one of them. Stranger things have happened. Steve Smiths injury was so serious, I would be VERY hesitant to bring him in. With the good possibility of a huge free agent class.. You gotta go with a guy you know is at least healthy.

[Alo]

I did a little googling on Johnathan Haggerty -- despite Wikipedia calling him a free agent, it looks like he's still with the Browns. He's on the roster on the Browns' site and is mentioned alongside a couple Browns in this article about Larry Asante's football camp.

Hopefully, he'll move from providing some camp excitement to producing on the field. With his sure hands and 4.45 speed, he's certainly got the ability to challenge the other younguns.

[Flugel]

Originally Posted by Sez.EJ

Go on a spending frenzy. I'd only bring in eleven or so.
One RT
2 DE
1 DT
2 WR
2 LB
1 CB
1 S
1 RB
and a partridge in a pear tree.

The most important free agent.. Resign Joe Thomas right now..so he can't become one.
I know the Browns are not brining in 11 free agents..but the question was what would 'I' do. I would probably bring in 5-6 udfa's on top of that too.

I'll try to blend this with the names Alo and others have recommended.
1) Tyson Clabo at OT means the Steelers are STILL looking for an OT they don't have; and we haven't found the 1st reason to feel safe with Pashos to date. This won't be cheap.
2) Charles Johnson at DE. Only 24 years old with that 11.5 sack season in 2010. This looks like a better age and stage of career than we got Roy Barker from SF in 99 coming off a 12 sack season. Barker was 30 so he came feelign nothign but entitled to nice paychecks for previous football. Johnson is heading toward his best football so stage of career is what FA consumer needs to see in this one.
3) Ray Edwards at DE. His numbers have yet to jump out at people in spite of beign on a D where's he's rarely yhe guy that commands the most attention up front. He's a great athletic that could really once he fully understands the game of leverage in the trenches. He's another guy that heading toward his best football IMO so he's intriguing.
4) Safety Eric Weddle often mentioned by Bronx Cheer among others. LOVE his instincts and intelligence. Reminds me of Bryan Russell except he has better anticipation and seems to get there 1 step quicker. However, that might not be fair based on limited observation.
5) LB Quincy Black is 27 years old and intriguing. If we haven't been so lambasted by injury I would say Paul Posluzny on the talent I admire. I still think Titus Brown might surprise alot of people. I'm hoping we put Jackson outside if healthy.
6) Cornerback - Johnathan Joseph, Antonio Cromartie or Carlos Rogers. There's some first round talents there I could trust more than Eric right or the age of Sheldon Brown.

I wish the WR position offered a talented speedster. I suppose once the Rice (or Vincent Jackson) auction takes place to the highest bidding post season frequent, maybe we could consider Lance Moore if he's not already thinking you already had me Cleveland and you brought in FA Antonio Bryant instead of seeing what I had. THAT is what impatience can lead to if a team doesn't understand the length of time it takes for the Miles Austins, Lance Moores, Brandon Lloyds, Vincent Jacksons and even Sidney Rices of the young WR world to "land ho" their arrivals. Not everyone walks into what Randy Moss did as a rookie. As for the Steve Breaston fans in here, what do you suppose Mo Mass would have looked like with Boldin and Fitzgerald leaving him the 3rd best corner to exploit every Sunday aside from the vision and precision of Kurt Warner hitting him in stride? That doesn't metamorphasize Steve Breaston into the #1 WR any more than Anthony Henry going from 10 INTs covering the Steve Breastons as a wide eyed rookie to Jerry Jones paying him to be a #1 corner in Dallas. How'd it work folks? That parallel HAS to be understood because Henry was a good 3rd down #3 corner like Breaston was an ideal #3 WR and decent #2 WR. That's not what we're missing at WR IMO.

At RB, we can always use Cribbs if Hardesty doesn't overcome the injury/rehab. DT is a need but supply and demand doesn't leave me feeling like we'd be doing any more than spinning our wheels.