Cleveland Browns NFL free agency primer: Team showing interest in QB trade market, D-linemen

The Browns have already made a huge offseason splash by trading for wide receiver Amari Cooper, but how the next two weeks unfold will still play a crucial role in determining the makeup of their roster for this year and beyond.

NFL teams were allowed to negotiate with the representatives of impending unrestricted free agents from other clubs beginning at noon Monday. Trades and signings can be finalized beginning 4 p.m. Wednesday, when free agency officially kicks off.

The Browns agreed Saturday to trade a fifth-round pick and swap sixth-round selections in the April 28-30 NFL Draft with the Dallas Cowboys for Cooper, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who has posted more than 1,000 receiving yards in five of his seven NFL seasons.

Now everyone is waiting to see what will happen with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, the three-time Pro Bowl selection who has been accused of sexual misconduct or sexual assault by two dozen women during massage appointments. A grand jury decided Friday Watson won't be criminally charged, but he still faces 22 civil lawsuits and a likely NFL suspension.

Watson is expected to be traded soon, and the Browns are among the many teams that have done their due diligence on the player, a person familiar with the situation confirmed.

Watson has a no-trade clause, so he can control where he lands.

The Browns are not viewed as the most likely team to acquire Watson, but they cannot be ruled out at this point, either, league sources said.

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Although Browns General Manager Andrew Berry has said publicly and privately he fully expects Baker Mayfield to be the team's starting quarterback in 2022, Watson would be an obvious upgrade on the field.

The Browns also view Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr as an upgrade, but the Raiders might commit to him long term rather than trade him. Something to consider, though: In the buildup to the 2018 draft, new Raiders coach Josh McDaniels liked Mayfield, who is under contract with the Browns for one more season at $18.858 million guaranteed. The Browns have fielded exploratory trade calls from teams about Mayfield, according to ProFootballNetwork.com.

NFL Network reported Sunday the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers have submitted offers for Watson, and ProFootballNetwork.com reported he meet with those teams Monday evening in Houston.

ProFootballNetwork.com reported the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were interested in Watson, too.

But on Sunday night, the Vikings committed to Kirk Cousins with a fully guaranteed contract extension worth $40 million this year and $30 million in 2023, USA Today confirmed, and Tom Brady announced on Twitter he will return to the Buccaneers for the 2022 season instead of retiring.

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The Browns have shown interest in Watson, but it remains to be see whether they'll meet with him.

A move for Watson is expected to come at a steep cost. The Texans have reportedly been seeking three first-round draft picks and more. Whichever team trades for Watson must also be prepared for public backlash because of the allegations made against him.

Browns release Jarvis Landry

Whether the Browns partner with Watson or not, they addressed their most glaring need by bolstering the receiving corps with Cooper. That doesn't mean they're done at the position.

They need more, especially because five-time Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry was released Monday, the Browns announced.

The Browns granted Landry permission to seek a trade Saturday after they secured Cooper but left the door open for reaching a restructured deal with Landry, a respected team leader. The two sides did not reach an agreement on a restructured contract and a trade did not pan out, so Landry asked to be let go, and the Browns obliged.

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Browns may look to complement Amari Cooper

The Browns are looking for another veteran to complement Cooper in their receiving corps. The Browns and Kansas City Chiefs are among the teams that have shown interest in Chicago Bears receiver Allen Robinson, a league source confirmed Monday afternoon.

NFL Network reported the Browns also had interest in Christian Kirk (Arizona Cardinals), but he's expected to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

D.J. Chark (Jaguars), Will Fuller (Miami Dolphins), Russell Gage (Atlanta Falcons), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Green Bay Packers) and Jamison Crowder (New York Jets) are among the options on track for free agency.

What free agent quarterbacks could the Browns be after?

As long as the Browns don't trade for a clear-cut starting quarterback, the group of free-agent QBs that could push Mayfield remains worth monitoring. Marcus Mariota (Raiders) and Jameis Winston (Saints) are in that tier.

Mitchell Trubisky (Buffalo Bills) and Teddy Bridgewater (Denver Broncos) are, too. But Mentor native Trubisky agreed Monday to a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to NFL Network, and Bridgewater intends to sign a one-year contract with the Dolphins, per ESPN.

The quarterback wild card aside, it's a safe bet Berry's next big move will be for a defensive lineman.

The Browns also have plenty of decisions to make about their own players who are scheduled to hit the open market and others with unresolved contractual situations.

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Cleveland Browns want to re-sign Jadeveon Clowney, Chris Hubbard, M.J. Stewart

Most of the Browns' 14 impending unrestricted free agents are expected to leave, but some will be retained.

The Browns want defensive end Jadeveon Clowney back, but he's expected to field offers from other franchises and will likely find a more substantial financial commitment elsewhere, a source said.

Also, keep in mind Clowney has taken his time when choosing a landing spot the past two seasons. He signed with the Browns in mid-April last year and with the Tennessee Titans in September 2020. The Browns might not wait around if they think it will cost them another veteran defensive end on their wish list.

If Clowney doesn't return and the Browns don't sign a starting D-end in free agency, it will become the most logical position to target in the first round (No. 13 overall) of the April 28-30 draft.

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The Browns want to re-sign key backup offensive lineman Chris Hubbard, and a deal is expected to be reached this week, sources said.

Versatile defensive back M.J. Stewart Jr. is another priority for the Browns, and the interest is mutual, sources said. The team also has interest in bringing back linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., one source said.

Safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. and wide receiver Rashard Higgins are among the players considered unlikely to return, a source said.

Chase McLaughlin is eligible for restricted free agency, but the Browns will likely seek an upgrade at kicker. They need a punter, too.

Center JC Tretter, tight end Austin Hooper and quarterback Case Keenum are veterans with uncertain futures in Cleveland because of their contractual situations. There is no rush for the Browns to make decisions on Tretter and Hooper. On the other hand, Keenum has a $1 million roster bonus due Friday, so he'll likely be released before that deadline, unless he agrees to restructure the final season of his contract.

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For competitive reasons, Berry isn't going to tell the world who he wants to sign in free agency, yet his propensity to circle back to players he coveted in past drafts is well known.

That's why defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah would have made a ton of sense for the Browns to target as a potential replacement for Clowney if the Dolphins hadn't struck a deal with him Monday morning to keep him off the open market. Ogbah will receive a four-year, $65 million contract, agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN.

When Berry was the Browns' chief talent evaluator and held the title of VP of player personnel in 2016, the franchise drafted Ogbah with the first pick of the second round.

Now Ogbah, 28, is coming off back-to-back nine-sack seasons with the Dolphins. Former Browns GM John Dorsey traded Ogbah to the KanChiefs for safety Eric Murray in 2019, the year Berry spent in the Philadelphia Eagles' front office. All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett never wanted Ogbah to leave.

Derek Barnett (Philadelphia Eagles), Charles Harris (Detroit Lions), Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (Los Angeles Rams), Arden Key (San Francisco 49ers), Uchenna Nwosu (Los Angeles Chargers) and Jacob Martin (Texans) are edge rushers with expiring contracts between the ages of 25 and 27.

The Packers announced Monday morning they released Za'Darius Smith, 29, and ESPN reported the Browns have done homework on the two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher.

If the Browns want to sign an older veteran to a relatively inexpensive one-year deal, Jerry Hughes (Bills) or Justin Houston (Baltimore Ravens) could be fits. They're both 33.

Remember, the Browns won't just need a starting D-end if Clowney is gone. They'll also need a No. 3 edge rusher to fill the role of Takk McKinley, another impending free agent who will likely miss most or all of next season with the ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered Dec. 20 against the Raiders.

The Browns are in the market for two new starting defensive tackles

Familiarity is a factor in free agency because a team can theoretically minimize its misses if it has extensive knowledge about a player.

Defensive tackle D.J. Jones, 27, is an example of a player the Browns know because defensive line coach Chris Kiffin guided him in San Francisco for two seasons 2018-19. Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods coached defensive backs for the 49ers in 2019, so he has some familiarity with Jones, too.

But Jones agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal with the Broncos, NFL Network reported Monday night.

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Other impending free-agent defensive tackles in the age range of 24-27 are Folorunso Fatukasi (Jets), Maliek Collins (Texans), Bilal Nichols (Bears) and Derrick Nnadi (Chiefs).

Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell are headed for free agency after serving as the Browns' starting defensive tackles last season. It would be a surprise if Jackson were to return. McDowell won't be tendered as an exclusive rights free agent because of his arrest in January.

Browns soon-to-be free agents

Unrestricted

Jadeveon Clowney, DE

Dustin Colquitt, P

Sheldon Day, DT

Ronnie Harrison Jr., S

Rashard Higgins, WR

Chris Hubbard, OT

Malik Jackson, DT

Elijah Lee, LB

Takk McKinley, DE

Ifeadi Odenigbo, DE

Malcom Smith, LB

M.J. Stewart Jr., CB

Ryan Switzer, WR

Anthony Walker Jr., LB

Restricted

Stephen Carlson, TE

Porter Gustin, DE

D'Ernest Johnson, RB (will be tendered at low level)

Chase McLaughlin, K

Nick Mullens, QB

Exclusive Rights

Ja'Marcus Bradley, WR (has been tendered)

Michael Dunn, OT (has been tendered)

Hjalte Froholdt, G

Blake Hance, OT (has been tendered)

Malik McDowell, DT

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns show interest in QB trade market, D-line in NFL free agency