Cleveland Browns: Breaking Down the 5 Biggest Needs in Free Agency

The Cleveland Browns will enter the 2011 NFL season with some huge questions surrounding the state of their franchise and their players. Cleveland will officially welcome in the Pat Shurmur era when football activities finally resume, and there are still plenty of holes to fill within the active roster.

Many veterans will be leaving the Browns franchise due to free agency, trades or a "cleaning of house" that is expected to take place once the organization and players are allowed to communicate. However, with the departure of older players comes the arrival of new talent.

The following slideshow breaks down the five biggest needs for the Browns during the shortened free agency period of 2011 and what the current state of the team is at each position. Potential free agency targets will not be listed in this article as contracts are still unclear and a free agency rules are not yet in place.

No.5: Linebackers

The Browns will be switching to a 4-3 defense in 2011 and will likely struggle with players fitting into their new roles. D'Qwell Jackson and Scott Fujita headline a very scattered linebacker corps and each have their own concerns heading into the upcoming season.

Jackson has failed to remain healthy for the last two seasons as pectoral injuries have sidelined him since 2009. Fujita is nearing the end of his career and put in a huge workload during the 2010-11 season under Eric Mangini and Rob Ryan.

The Browns will need to rely on the younger talent within the current roster or look out for a veteran to lead their group of relatively unknowns.

Cleveland's leading linebacker in 2010 was Chris Gocong. Gocong collected 75 total tackles, two sacks, and one fumble recovery on the year. Marcus Benard led the defense in sacks with 7.5 despite playing limited downs.

No. 4: The Offensive Line

The right side of Cleveland's offensive line has simply been a weak point of the offense for several seasons.

Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, and Alex Mack have all become quality every-down players, but are only three pieces of a five-piece set. Cleveland already made an attempt to improve the right side of the line when they drafted Jason Pinkston earlier this year.

However, Pinkston will likely be behind schedule when the Browns report to camp in the coming weeks and could use some seasoning before seeing any game action.

The Browns' current depth chart lists Tony Pashos and Floyd Womack as the tackle and guard on the right side of the line heading into the 2011-12 season. Cleveland used the same combination of players on multiple occasions during the 2010 season, but never accomplished a great pass protection.

Right guard is probably the biggest need out of any position on the current line as Womack and Billy Yates are both entering the late part of their careers. Cleveland's youngest guard, Shaun Lauvao, has not seen much game action in his time with the Browns and is still a huge question mark.

No. 3: The Secondary

Cleveland's secondary struggled against quality competition during the 2010 season with the exception of two games against the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots.

Eric Wright had one of the worst statistical years of his career and the Browns finished 18th in the league against the pass.

Joe Haden and T.J. Ward served as huge bright spots in a year of complete mediocrity. Ward made a statement early in the year as his Week 4 hit against Jordan Shipley (Cincinnati Bengals) gave him a fearsome reputation around the league. Haden did not turn his game on until later in the season but finished with the team lead in interceptions and a fan-favorite on the defensive side.

The biggest area of need for the Browns secondary will be in the safety position. Abe Elam and Mike Adams have both been roaming the backfield for several seasons and neither has become the definite starter across from Ward.

The Browns drafted Eric Hagg and Buster Skrine late in the 2011 NFL draft, however both players will be far behind schedule when the lockout is lifted.

No. 2: Running Back

This choice may come as a surprise to some Cleveland Browns fans. However, when looking at Cleveland's active roster, one can easily see a major hole following Peyton Hillis on the 2011-12 depth chart.

The Browns traded away Jerome Harrison last season in hopes that Mike Bell could fill that void and become a role player in the offense. Fast forward to the present and Bell is a potential free agent with seemingly nothing to show for his time with Cleveland.

Montario Hardesty was also supposed to be a key player in the Browns' rushing attack before a torn ACL ended his season in August.

Even though Hardesty looks as if he will be ready for training camp this season, the Browns simply cannot rely on his health or playing ability. Cleveland needs a rusher that can remain healthy and fit the system that Pat Shurmur likes to run on game day.

No. 1: Defensive End

The Browns significantly improved the defensive line this summer when they drafted Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard to anchor Dick Jauron's 4-3 defense. However, Cleveland still has a pressing need at the defensive end position in their new scheme.

Sheard is expected to take over one of the end positions beside Taylor and Athyba Rubin in the middle. At the other end of the line, Marcus Benard or Matt Roth have been rumored to be the front-runners on a long list of uncertainty.

Roth may not even be with the team next season as his offseason remarks and pending free agency have his foot out the door and Benard is a natural linebacker in the 4-3 system.

The Browns simply do not have a player on the active roster to fill this void. Not to mention the fact that the most likely replacement, Robaire Smith, is entering his 13th NFL season in 2011-12.