Best and Worst Moves the Cleveland Browns Made in Free Agency

Free agency, unlike the draft, can immediately be given a fairly definitive grade. The players involved have a track record in the NFL, and the team’s needs from the prior year are still fresh in everyone’s mind. By all accounts the Cleveland Browns had a heck of a start to the free-agency period.

Besides the fact they got a little older with the signings of Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner, it still seems as though they made talent upgrades with their four big free-agent signings. They also added depth at cornerback and tight end by signing Isaiah Trufant and Jim Dray.

It was tough to pick the highs and lows of free agency thus far because everything they did pretty much made sense. For once, I find myself without a major gripe in the offseason. Anyway, here are the best and worst moves made by the Browns so far in free agency.

Best Move: Signing Ben Tate

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So far Ben Tate has spent his entire career as the Houston Texans' backup running back. Things are about to change for the 25-year-old. After signing a two-year deal with the Browns, Tate is expected to become the feature back for new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s system.

Judging by how Alfred Morris was featured in Washington, Tate will receive plenty of touches. Morris had 276 carries last season which was tied for eighth most in the NFL.

Tate’s 4.7 yards per carry career average gives plenty of reason to be optimistic. His injury history does not. This is why the signing of Tate was such a good move for the Browns, however.

Not only did they snag a young back but they got him relatively cheap. The deal is worth just $6.2 million over two seasons. If he does not work out, it barely dents their seemingly endless supply of cap space.

His base salary will pay him like a fringe top-10 back, but the years are not indicative of someone who has that talent. He will have to earn his next big deal at 27 years old.

Worst Move: Missing out on Top-Tier Guards

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It is tough to find a bad move the Browns made, so we have to go into the “what if” category. One place I would have loved to see them venture into is the free-agent guard pool.

As reported by Ohio.com, on Monday the team announced they signed free-agent lineman Paul McQuistan. The 30-year-old lineman started 40 games for the Seattle Seahawks over the past three seasons at every position except center. He is a journeyman similar to that of John Greco.

While this is a quality depth signing, they should have pursued one of the top-tier guards. Geoff Schwartz, Jon Asamoah and Zane Beadles were all available, and not one report linked them to Cleveland.

Maybe it was the money that would have been needed. None of them signed for less than $4.2 million per season. Still, Asamoah and Beadles were 25 and 27 years old respectively. They were still plenty young enough to live up to their big-money deals.

All signs now point to the Browns selecting an offensive lineman early in the draft to help solidify that part of the roster. I expect it to happen in the first two rounds.

Best Move: Andrew Hawkins

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After releasing Davone Bess earlier this offseason, the Browns desperately needed a slot receiver. They needed a shifty speedster who could make people miss in open space. Former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Andrew Hawkins filled that need perfectly.

The Browns signed Hawkins to a four-year, $13.6 million offer sheet, and the Bengals refused to match the offer. This was a double win for the Browns as they filled a need and hurt a division rival at the same time.

He played just eight games last season while fighting through injuries and was mildly effective. Hawkins had just 199 yards and no touchdowns in 2013. When he was healthy, however, he was a very tough cover. He caught three passes for 65 yards against San Diego and three passes for 74 yards against Baltimore.

In 2012, when he stayed healthy all season, he caught 51 passes for 533 yards and four touchdowns. Many around the league feel he has been underutilized in Cincinnati. Shanahan will likely try and use him in a similar fashion to how he used Santana Moss last season.

Moss caught 42 balls for 452 yards and two touchdowns. I am not saying Hawkins has the same talent as Moss, but he could definitely play a similar role.

Worst Move: Not Making the Revis Trade Work

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Maybe it was a pipe dream all along. Multiple reports had the Browns in discussions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to trade for Darrelle Revis.

It looked as though the Browns were one of the front-runners, but they wanted Revis to restructure his contract and he had no interest. The Browns should have pulled the trigger anyway.

It would not have cost them anything higher than a fourth-round selection, of which they have two. He also would have only counted for just over $5 million against the salary cap this season. Sure, in 2015 the Browns would have been on the hook for all $16 million, but they still have $31 million in cap space available and the cap is set to jump up again next season.

It is rare to have an opportunity to acquire one of the top corners in all of football at just 28 years old. It is even rarer to be able to pair him with one of the best young corners in the game, Joe Haden.

I am usually not a sucker for “blockbuster” trades with big names, but this is one where the Browns missed the boat.

Best Move: Not Trading for Matt Schaub

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Sometimes the best moves that can be made are the ones that do not happen. That is the case with former Texans quarterback Matt Schaub.

Multiple reports had the Browns interested in possibly trading for Schaub. Thankfully, the Oakland Raiders pulled the trigger on that deal and he is now off the table. He may have only cost Oakland a late-round selection, but he will suck up their playing time next season.

Cleveland fans have seen that move before. In 2010 the Browns grabbed a veteran starting quarterback off the free-agent market who was supposed to steady the ship. Sure, Jake Delhomme was coming off of his worst season as a pro where he threw 18 interceptions and just eight touchdowns. But that had to be a fluke season for the guy who started seven years for the Carolina Panthers, right?

Wrong. He was mentally broken after that year and never recovered. In Cleveland he started just four games and threw seven interceptions to just two touchdowns. He was a panicked mess and obviously had lost it mentally.

Acquiring Schaub would have been repeating the past, while expecting a different result. If I am not mistaken, that is the very definition of insanity.