Weighing the Pros and Cons of Cleveland Browns' Top Free-Agent Targets

The Cleveland Browns have multiple glaring roster holes and nearly $50 million in salary cap space with which to fill them. Still, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam does not expect the team to be as active in free agency as their needs and cash in the coffers would suggest.

Still, the Browns will likely make a few key signings once free agency begins in a week. There are simply needs that are better met with veteran talent. Let's take a look at five of those veterans the Browns may be targeting and weigh their pros and cons. 

WR Brian Hartline

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The Miami Dolphins released wide receiver Brian Hartline last week, and he's already drawn the Cleveland Browns' attention, with Pro Football Talk reporting that the team had a meeting planned with the receiver on Tuesday.

Hartline, heading into his seventh year in the NFL, certainly meets two of the Browns' needs: wide receiver depth and veteran offensive leadership. Hartline has caught a career 298 passes on 521 targets, for 4,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had only 39 catches for 474 yards and two scores in 2014 but had over 1,000 receiving yards in both his 2012 and 2013 seasons.

Though Hartline is a veteran, he's not a special receiver. He became lost in the shuffle in Miami and would at best be a No. 2, possession receiver on most teams. He is 6'2", which would provide much-needed height for the Browns' receiving corps, and his Ohio State background could endear him to fans. But there may be better free-agent options out there this year.

Pros: Veteran experience; height; capable of producing 1,000-yard seasons; Ohio State connection doesn't hurt.

Cons: Not a dynamic, game-changing receiver; disappeared in 2014; came off poorly in his defense of Richie Incognito.

Final Verdict: It's understandable why the Browns have shown interest in Hartline, given his on-field experience and his size. However, Hartline has the ability to underwhelm, especially with the Browns' quarterback situation still hazy. The Browns need a receiver who can produce consistently, and Hartline just isn't it.

DE Jerry Hughes

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

The Browns need to seriously upgrade the defensive line in order to improve its performance against the run. One great option to do this via free agency is defensive end Jerry Hughes, who most recently played for the Buffalo Bills—including a 2013 season with current Browns head coach Mike Pettine and defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil.

Hughes has a combined 161 tackles and 24.5 sacks as well as five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his five years in the NFL. He had 19.5 sacks in his two years in Buffalo, with 9.5 in 2014, along with nine additional quarterback hits and 40 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus, who ranked him 14th at the position for the year. Most importantly, he ranked 17th in run-stopping.

Hughes would meet an obvious need the Browns have on defense while boasting a familiarity with Pettine's and O'Neil's defense. It only makes sense that they would target him as one of their first free-agent signings.

Pros: Great run-stopping ability paired with solid pass-rushing skills; familiar with Pettine's and O'Neil's defense; meets an immediate, glaring need on defense; instant starter.

Cons: Scheme versatility may mean he is an expensive signing.

Final Verdict: There are few drawbacks to Hughes landing in Cleveland. He can help them both stop the run and rush the passer, while providing veteran locker room leadership and a built-in knowledge of the defensive system. Forget expensive options like Ndamukong Suh—Hughes should be high on the Browns' free-agency wish list.

CB Buster Skrine

Rob Carr/Getty Images

There may be no more higher-priority free-agency re-signing for the Browns this year than cornerback Buster Skrine. Skrine is not just coming off of a career-best season in which he had 67 tackles, four interceptions and 18 passes defensed, but he's also extremely versatile, able to play outside or in the nickel.

With the Browns dealing with uncertainty at the position, losing Skrine in a year not particularly flush with high-end cornerbacks would be a major blow. Though Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer believes there will be a bidding war for Skrine's services, leading him to a yearly payday averaging $5.5 to $7 million, she also believes the Browns will be more than willing and able to match or beat any offer he gets from another team.

That's good news, should it prove true. The Browns' biggest defensive strength at present is its secondary, and it would greatly benefit the team to keep as much of that secondary intact in 2015. Luckily, the Browns have more than enough cash to make sure Skrine remains in Cleveland.

Pros: Improves every year; can play all over the field; stepped up as a starter in 2014.

Cons: Could be overpaid as a result of a bidding war; may make $7 million to play nickel in 2015. 

Final Verdict: Skrine has quickly become an integral part of the Browns secondary, whether he plays outside cornerback or in the nickel. There's no reason for the Browns to let him leave in free agency, when they clearly like him and can clearly afford him. It will be surprising if he plays for another team this year.

WR/KR Ted Ginn Jr.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Arizona Cardinals cut wide receiver and returner Ted Ginn Jr. at the end of February, and Browns safety Donte Whitner—Ginn's former collegiate teammate and fellow Cleveland native—was immediately on the case.

According to the Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot, Whitner texted head coach Mike Pettine about Ginn, who "said it's definitely a consideration," while a league source told Cabot that the Browns have already contacted Ginn's agent.

Ginn, a veteran of four teams, has a career 211 catches on 406 targets, for 2,794 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had only 14 catches on 26 targets for 190 yards in 2014, as he transitioned to being mostly a returner and as the Cardinals struggled at the quarterback position. He has returned a career 281 kickoffs for 6,443 yards and three scores and 182 punts for 2,018 yards and four touchdowns. In 2014, Ginn had a combined 48 punt and kick returns, for 694 yards and a touchdown.

Marlon Moore and Travis Benjamin were mostly responsible for the Browns' kick and punt return duties in 2014, but none was as dynamic as Ginn. Further, Ginn can do both jobs, which is good news with Moore an unrestricted free agent. Ginn can also be a speedy weapon at receiver, though it's not likely he'd be used that way all that often in Cleveland since the rest of the receiving corps boasts similar size and speed.

Pros: Clearly in demand by at least one Browns player; extremely fast; very effective kick and punt returner; can be used as a receiver, though in a limited capacity. 

Cons: Hard to evaluate what to pay such a specialized player; potentially a one-trick pony.

Final Verdict: It certainly wouldn't hurt the Browns' locker room to add a veteran like Ginn, especially a hometown player who would likely welcome returning home. Yes, he's one-note, in that he won't be on the field constantly as a receiver, but what he adds as a kick and punt returner would be a huge benefit for the Browns. Field position is important in the NFL, and Ginn can give the Browns much-needed short fields.

TE Jordan Cameron

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

As expected, the Browns did not use the franchise tag on impending free-agent tight end Jordan Cameron, but that does not mean that his time in Cleveland is up. Allowing him to test the open market to set his price is a smart move by the Browns, one that could result in the team retaining the tight end.

Cameron's 2014 season was marred by shoulder and concussion issues that limited him to 24 catches on 48 targets, for 424 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games. He has suffered three concussions in two years' time, something that could drive the Browns away from trying to re-sign him. However, his injury history could also lower the offers he receives, allowing the Browns to bring him back at a lower price than expected.

The Browns are thin at tight end. If they lose Cameron, they have just Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge on the roster. This isn't a strong free-agent tight end class, and the draft may be even more bereft of starting-caliber talent, especially when it comes to receiving-first tight ends like Cameron. For these reasons, the Browns may make a concerted push to re-sign Cameron, depending on what his other offers look like.

Pros: Provides continuity at the position; is a stretch-the-field, scoring threat when healthy; prevents the Browns from facing a potentially disastrous situation at tight end; despite injuries, has shown improvement.

Cons: Significant injury history, durability definitely a factor; could be overpriced thanks to the thin market; some rumors that he is disgruntled in Cleveland and won't take any offer they give him.

Final Verdict: Cameron is not without his risks, particularly when it comes to his injury history, and he could be far overpriced for his talents because there are few tight ends with his skill set available and many teams needy for his services. Still, the Browns will be in a bad place at tight end should he move on. The Browns need to hope that injury history scares some would-be suitors away and drives his price down so that they can bring him back at a reasonable cost.