Keep-or-Cut Decisions for Cleveland Browns 2015 Free Agents
Before the Cleveland Browns can sign guys in free agency or draft whom they hope will be a future star of the team, they have to take care of their business in-house. According to Spotrac.com, the Browns have 19 contracts expiring this offseason and will need to make decisions on all of them.
Some will be easier decisions than others. While defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin and his $8.2 million worth of declining skills will probably be shown the door, there are still guys like linebackers Jabaal Sheard and Craig Robertson. Both have been productive at times and might come with an affordable price tag.
Securing your own talent is the best way to keep a winning core together, and the Browns began to build one last season with seven victories. Now it is time to solidify that core and build upon it.
Who will get a shot to return and finally help get the Browns back to the playoffs? Let’s take a look at their top eight free agents and decide.
Ahtyba Rubin
1 of 8
Defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin plays a position that is very hard to define by statistics. Still, it is hard to ignore the fact that since 2011 when he had five sacks and 55 tackles, his numbers have declined every season.
Rubin is now 28 years old and coming off of a year when he made $8.2 million. It is hard to see his agent coming all the way down into the range where the Browns would be comfortable locking him up for another contract. He will most likely end up with a team that needs a rotation guy and can afford to overpay for his experience.
The switch to the 3-4 defense was not kind to Rubin, and he never really made an impact at nose tackle. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Rubin ranked 74th among nose tackles and defensive tackles, and he had negative grades against both the run and pass.
Look for him to land somewhere he can play defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense.
Verdict: Let Him Walk
Miles Austin
2 of 8
The nine-year veteran is not what he once was and also did not make anywhere near the money he once did. Miles Austin is a shell of the guy who made two different Pro Bowls in Dallas but was still productive for the Browns last season before lacerating his kidney.
However, if you took Austin’s name off of the production, it was not half bad. He was the third-leading receiver on the team with 568 yards on 47 receptions. If fans did not have expectations of him revitalizing his career in Cleveland, they would have been satisfied with his production.
The reality of Austin is that he is now 30 years old and has hamstrings that are about 60 years old. He was a nice piece to add in for a year, but it is hard to see the Browns or just about any other team giving him another deal. His time in the league might be nearing an end.
Verdict: Let Him Walk
Jabaal Sheard
3 of 8
This is where the decisions get a little bit tougher. Jabaal Sheard is a tough guy to judge because this was his worst season statistically, but he was getting accustomed to a new role. He also improved his run-stopping and coverage skills in the process.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) had Sheard ranked second in the NFL at run stopping and tied for the 12th-highest rating in coverage at his position. The problem is that he registered just two sacks on the year at a pass-rushing position.
Whether or not the Browns bring him back will depend on the market that is out there for him. If his agent feels like he can get big money elsewhere, then he will likely hit the market. If his agent feels like the Browns will be in the same ballpark as everyone else, then they may work something out before the start of free agency.
It would be tough to see Sheard walk with the versatility and athleticism he brings to the table.
Verdict: Re-sign Him
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Jordan Cameron
4 of 8
No one on the Browns lost more money in 2014 than tight end Jordan Cameron. He went from a Pro Bowl tight end in his prime who caught 80 balls for 917 yards and seven touchdowns to a guy who had to decide if his health was worth still playing in the league.
The biggest issue with Cameron was that he suffered his third concussion as a pro, and it took him over a month to get back on the field. When you combine that with a year that he was essentially a non-factor, then he becomes very risky to give a long-term deal.
In 2014 he caught 48 passes for 424 yards and two scores. He seemed timid and was not able to beat double-teams early in the season. Someone may take a flyer on him with a short deal that is mostly inceptive money just because he is still only 26 years old, but I can't see that being the Browns.
He now has three years where he hasn’t lived up to his potential and one where he did. That is a lot of evidence against him.
Verdict: Let Him Walk
Buster Skrine
5 of 8
One of the most thankless jobs in the NFL is being a second cornerback on a defense. You are not skilled enough to be elite and stop everything, so even when you have a good or great year, people still only judge you on penalties and times you were beat.
Cornerback Buster Skrine will be able to comfort himself with the big contract he will receive this offseason. Fans in Cleveland have a hard time seeing the forest through the trees, but someone is going to give Skrine a lot of money to play on their defense, and hopefully it is the Browns.
He was tied for the fourth-most interceptions and passes defended in the NFL this season. Skrine is not afraid to tackle and jumps off the film on run defense as well.
But his aggressive nature can also be a hindrance. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has him ranked as the 77th-worst corner in the league for committing penalties. Talk to any defensive coach, and they will say they’ll take the penalties for a playmaker any day. He is undersized (5'9", 185 lbs) but certainly a playmaker.
Verdict: Re-sign Him
Brian Hoyer
6 of 8
When you step back and take the emotions out of any decision relating to quarterback Brian Hoyer this offseason, it is pretty simple. The sample size is now large enough to where you know what Hoyer is in the NFL, and that is a damn good backup quarterback. He will be 30 years old next season, and that is not going to change.
He finished 31st in quarterback rating and 32nd in completion percentage. This was all while the Browns watched his play decline to the point of him being benched for rookie Johnny Manziel. The argument is not whether Manziel will be a good quarterback—because that is what any debate about Hoyer devolves into. It is about if Hoyer is good enough to re-sign and think he can start again. The answer is no.
In another situation he might be able to, but there are too many ties within the locker room to bring him back as a backup. He will not start next year, and his presence alone could cause issues.
There are other options such as Kirk Cousins or Rex Grossman who can produce similar results without dividing the locker room. It is not his fault—it is just how this season unfolded.
The Browns need everyone behind whomever they start next season.
Verdict: Let Him Walk
Tashaun Gipson
7 of 8
Do you know how special you have to be to go undrafted, miss the final five games of a season and still make the Pro Bowl? Tashaun Gipson special—that’s how special you have to be.
The free safety, who was the first undrafted Browns player to make the Pro Bowl since 1991, finished second in the NFL with six interceptions despite only playing the first 11 games. He is just 24 years old and has range that rivals any safety playing in the NFL today.
He is also a beast in run defense and uses his speed and explosiveness to get to ball-carriers quickly. Gipson is a gem whom former general manager Tom Heckert found and should be proud of. He will get a hefty contract this offseason, and it needs to be in Cleveland.
He is a restricted free agent, so the Browns can lock him up long-term with no competition and better do so. Keeping one of the best young safeties in football happy should be near the top of Ray Farmer’s priority list.
Verdict: Sign Him Long-Term
Craig Robertson
8 of 8
Heading into last offseason I thought the Browns should steer very clear of bringing back linebacker Craig Robertson. Not that he was a bad guy or anything, but he had just become a liability on defense. Well, a switch to the 3-4 defense and the direction of Karlos Dansby did him wonders, and Robertson had his best year as a pro.
The numbers look similar to all of his seasons—two interceptions and 57 tackles—but his production and the way he jumped off film was head and shoulders above any other year he has played.
Consider this: In 2013 Pro Football Focus (subscription required) had Robertson ranked 55th, or dead last, in coverage among 3-4 inside linebackers in the league. This season he was ranked 11th. He was one of three Browns 'backers with a positive ranking and a huge reason why the Browns were so good against the pass this season.
With Dansby getting up there in years, the Browns need depth at this position and would be crazy to let Robertson walk in free agency.
Verdict: Sign Him Long-Term
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