Cleveland Browns' Top Free-Agency Targets on the Defensive Line
While things continue to look more and more bleak for the Cleveland Browns, they still have plenty of ammunition to rebuild for next season. With 10 draft picks and a projected $48 million in salary cap space, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, even an extremely negative offseason can turn into a positive 2015.
The Browns’ headlines have been dominated by Johnny Manziel’s partying and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting wide receiver Josh Gordon will once again be suspended for failing a substance-abuse test. All that and we still have not reached the Super Bowl.
Still, the Browns can build upon their seven-win 2014 campaign with strong offseason moves, and that starts with free agency. The Browns' top position of need is the defensive line. They were dead-last against the run last year, and it cost them too many games.
Let’s take a look at the top five defensive line free agents that the Browns should be pursuing.
Ndamukong Suh
1 of 5
The big man from Detroit will be the most-sought-after free agent this offseason and with good reason. Ndamukong Suh has missed just two games in five NFL seasons and has amassed 36 sacks, 181 tackles, 15 passes deflected and two forced fumbles.
The bigger reason to want Suh is his run-stopping ability. He is the rare talent that can take on two blockers, stop the run and still put up the gaudy numbers that he has.
The Browns could use a 28-year-old superstar in his prime and have the cash to make it happen. He would instantly change the way teams would attack the Browns, and that is a good thing.
It does not matter that it could take the largest defensive contract in the NFL to make it happen, either. Suh just got out of a five-year, $68 million contract, so we know money won’t take away his ambition.
Terrance Knighton
2 of 5
Staying at the same position on the defensive line, the Browns should take a serious look at Denver nose tackle Terrance Knighton if they cannot land Suh. He will likely be the next-most-sought-after defensive lineman on the market.
Knighton is 29 years old but anchored a run defense that was fourth in the NFL when it came to yards per attempt and second in the league in yards per game allowed. He is 6’3”, 331 pounds and about as good as it gets when it comes to stuffing the run.
He has a long track record of staying on the field, which is important for guys battling in the trenches. He started every game the past two seasons and missed just three games in his six NFL seasons. Over the last two years in Denver, he had five sacks and 48 tackles.
He is also convinced that he may be playing for another team next season. When speaking to Sirius XM radio recently, he said the Broncos have not made him feel very wanted in their short offseason.
".@MrKnighton2u: I haven't gotten the feeling from the #Broncos that I will be back. I'm looking forward on being a Bronco or a fresh start.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) January 14, 2015"
Greg Hardy
3 of 5
The Browns desperately need help at the nose tackle position but could use an upgrade at defensive end as well. That position has really lacked in the run-stopping department, but they have also created very little pressure.
Phil Taylor has been productive when healthy but has missed 20 games over the last three seasons. Desmond Bryant has produced decent stats, but according to ProFootballFocus.com, he has been among the worst in the NFL at his position the last few seasons.
A huge name could be hitting the open market this offseason, but that is only if he can get himself off the commissioner exempt list. Carolina defensive end Greg Hardy was one of the most productive linemen in the NFL before getting arrested on charges of domestic violence.
According to WSOCtv.com, Hardy’s trial may be fast-tracked, and his situation could be resolved sooner rather than later. If the Browns do not mind a guy who's had off-field issues on their roster—and recent history suggests that they don’t—then there will be a 26-year-old superstar available.
He had 26 sacks between 2012 and 2013, the latter of which ended as a Pro Bowl year. He is dominant, and after his absence the Carolina defense was never the same. This would be a case of the Browns having to weigh his off-the-field issues against his on-the-field production.
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Nick Fairley
4 of 5
The other half of Detroit’s powerful run-stopping duo is also hitting the open market, and the Browns should be paying attention. Nick Fairley has not been the dominant force everyone imagined when the Lions drafted him 13th overall, but a lot of that has to do with how good Suh has been.
He played just eight games in 2014 but still has seven sacks and 30 tackles over the last two seasons. In those eight games this past year, he was still ranked as the 18th-best defensive tackle, according to ProFootballFocus.com. In 2012 he ranked as the fifth-best tackle.
He, like Suh, has the ability to stop the run and produce pass-rushing numbers. He is slightly undersized for a true nose tackle but has the athletic ability and strength to make it happen.
He also has some off-the-field issues, which need to play out. According to AL.com, Fairley’s attorney recently issued motions to have a 2012 DUI case dismissed.
Dan Williams
5 of 5
Much further down the defensive line food chain, but still very effective, is Dan Williams. He was the nose tackle for the Arizona Cardinals and will likely hit the open market this year. AZCardinals.com laid out the weapons that the new defensive coordinator will have to work with and did not seem too optimistic that Williams will be among them:
"The Cardinals need an anchor in the middle too. Dan Williams has been that guy, but he’s a free agent who seems likely to at least test the free-agent water."
While the Cardinals did have a very good defense this season, the numbers are slightly misleading. They ranked 13th in the league in opponent’s rushing yards per game but 25th in yards per attempt. Still, Williams is a very viable option as a starting nose tackle and is just 28 years old.
He started 19 games the last two seasons and amassed two sacks and 39 tackles in that time.
Statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com, unless otherwise stated.
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