5 Pending Free Agents the Cleveland Browns Must Try to Re-Sign

With Super Bowl XLIX in the book and the 2014 NFL season officially over, it is time for us to focus on the upcoming offseason. 

For a team like the Cleveland Browns, the offseason provides an excellent opportunity to build upon a 2014 season that held promise but ultimately fell short.

Adding to the overall talent pool—both in terms of starting talent and depth—on Cleveland's roster has to be priority No. 1. If enough new pieces can be added, the Browns should have a chance to improve on last season's 7-9 record and finally push toward relevance and a playoff spot.

However, the new league year and free agency don't begin until March 10, and the draft (April 30) is nearly three months away. This means that the first order of business for the Browns is to try to re-sign the players the team wants to have back in 2015.

According to Spotrac.com, the Browns currently have 24 players scheduled to become free agents on March 10, though only 12 of them will be unrestricted free agents (the rest will be restricted or exclusive-rights free agents). 

Of those 24, we will examine five players that Cleveland absolutely must try to bring back in order to make the offseason a building process and not a rebuilding one.

CB Buster Skrine

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standout Buster Skrine has had his ups and downs in four seasons as a pro. However, he finally emerged as a legitimate No. 2 cornerback in 2014 with a very strong season opposite Pro Bowler Joe Haden.

Skrine finished the season with 67 combined tackles, 18 passes defended and four interceptions. His ability to perform at a high level was a big reason why the Browns finished the 2014 season ranked eighth in pass defense (224.5 yards per game allowed).

The issue for Cleveland is that it seems the team would prefer the speedy 5'9", 185-pound defender to work against slot receivers rather than on the outside. Skrine ranked just 82nd overall among cornerbacks last season, according to Pro Football Focus, while rookie K'Waun Williams ranked 13th. 

Moving Williams or Justin Gilbert to the No. 2 spot and Skrine into the nickel would be an ideal situation, provided one of the second-year players is up to the challenge.

Skrine, however, will be an unrestricted free agent and will likely be looking to earn high-end No. 2 corner money.

WR Miles Austin

David Richard/Associated Press

Wide receiver Miles Austin played his first and only season with the Cleveland Browns in 2014, but he was a solid fit for the offense and had a reasonably productive year.

With No. 1 wideout Josh Gordon facing yet another season-long ban, the Browns need to strengthen their receiving corps as much as any other group on the roster. Considering new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo appears willing to retain much of former coordinator Kyle Shanahan's system, it makes sense to keep Austin as part of the equation. 

Austin was limited to 12 games due to injury but still produced 47 receptions, 568 yards and two touchdowns. He was also rated 42nd overall among wide receivers by Pro Football Focus. 

He is exactly the type of veteran that can help the offense make the transition to life under DeFilippo. 

There are several big-name receivers scheduled to hit the open market in March, like Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and Jeremy Maclin. This means Austin should come comparatively cheap.

TE Jordan Cameron

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Two years ago, tight end Jordan Cameron produced a 917-yard, seven-touchdown season and was named to the Pro Bowl. His place in Cleveland's future plans seemed secure.

However, injuries limited Cameron to just 10 games in 2014, and his production dropped to 424 yards and two scores. He also suffered his third concussion in two years. This leaves the Browns in a very tricky situation.

At 6'5" and 249 pounds and with crazy speed and ball skills, Cameron is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenders. When healthy, he has the potential to be one of the best offensive weapons in the game. 

The problem is that Cameron can't be counted on to be healthy—he has never appeared in a full 16-game season—and has only one standout season on his resume because of this. However, you can bet that Cameron and his agent are still going to pursue a deal that pays him based on his potential when 100 percent healthy.

QB Brian Hoyer

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

The fact that Brian Hoyer was benched in 2014 for rookie Johnny Manziel does not bode well for his potential future in Cleveland. Neither does the fact that he finished the year ranked just 35th overall among quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus.

The Browns, however, are in need of some sort of veteran insurance at the quarterback position. This is especially true with Manziel recently entering a rehabilitation facility, as reported by Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

Hoyer is really one of the more attractive options in a free-agent quarterback class that includes the likes of Matt Moore, Michael Vick, Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert. 

Hoyer is still only 29 years old and now has two years of experience with the Browns organization (though a large chunk of that time was spent recovering from a torn ACL). He also holds a 10-6 record as a starter with the Browns.

After 2014's late-season collapse, Hoyer is likely to command low-end starter money on the open market, at best. It makes perfect sense for Cleveland to pursue a two- or three-year deal with Hoyer in order to at least provide some stability while the team figures out what else it has at the quarterback position.

FS Tashaun Gipson

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

Re-signing free safety Tashaun Gipson might not be seen as a huge priority since he is a restricted free agent. Of all of the Browns' restricted free agents, however, Gipson is the most likely to draw an offer sheet from other NFL teams. 

Originally an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012, Gipson has quickly become a rising star. He led the AFC in interceptions in both 2013 (five) and 2014 (six) and was named to his first Pro Bowl following the 2014 season. 

He finished 2014 with 52 combined tackles, eight defended passes, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown. He was rated 10th overall among safeties by Pro Football Focus. 

The only real question mark surrounding Gipson is the fact that he missed the final five games of 2014 with a sprained MCL. There is some possibility, however slight, that the injury may have lasting effects.

Still, Gipson is a bright young player and forms a top-tier safety tandem alongside Donte Whitner. Locking him up now with a long-term deal would be a wise move and would ensure that no other team comes calling during the offseason.