Cleveland Browns: Which Players Will Be Affected Most by Free Agency?

Though deals have been getting done since the NFL's "legal tampering" window opened on Saturday afternoon, free agency technically kicks off on Tuesday with the start of the new league year. For the Cleveland Browns, it means the departure of established, familiar faces and the addition of new ones.

However, the free agents themselves aren't the only players affected by free agency. The veterans who remain can also see their positions on the depth chart affected by players leaving and arriving. 

Here are five veteran Browns players who will be most affected by free agency, though none of them will be heading out of town in 2015.

CB Justin Gilbert

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We all know how Browns cornerback Justin Gilbert's rookie season ended—with a Week 17 suspension following a pattern of being late to or absent from meetings. He had just two starts but was effective on the field, with 29 tackles, an interception returned for a touchdown, eight passes defensed and, most importantly, just one touchdown allowed in 48 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.

Still, his rookie season was marred by a "personal issue," one that general manager Ray Farmer didn't know much about upon drafting him but, that "as times went on, the coaching staff became more aware," of it. Whatever it was, it resulted in veterans such as Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner publicly calling Gilbert out.

With cornerback Buster Skrine an unrestricted free agent who has drawn interest from at least 15 teams, according to 923 The Fan's Daryl Ruiter, before Tuesday's start to the league year, it's going to be hard for the Browns to retain him. Skrine's departure would open up a window for Gilbert to start alongside Joe Haden in 2015 but only if the issues that plagued his rookie year prove to be behind him in his second season.

Gilbert's opportunity for redemption can come quickly. It's just a matter of whether he'll be capable of embracing it.

CB Pierre Desir

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Justin Gilbert's starting spot on the depth chart is not guaranteed if Buster Skrine leaves in free agency. That's not just because of his rocky (to put it mildly) rookie season but also because there are young, hungry players behind him vying for playing time. And among them, his biggest threat is 2014 fourth-round draft pick Pierre Desir.

Desir appeared in only three games in 2014, totaling nine tackles and two passes defensed. He did have one start, however, in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers in place of the injured Joe Haden and the demoted Gilbert.

Desir was tasked with stopping Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin and performed well, giving up three catches on six targets, for 34 yards, one yard after the catch and no scores, according to Pro Football Focus.

Even if Gilbert can take the place of Skrine, full-time, that does not mean Skrine's departure affects Desir less. He could take command of the Browns' nickel-corner job. Either way, Desir's playing time looks like it will take a significant leap forward in his second year.

TE Gary Barnidge

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The Browns have two tight ends on their roster at present, Gary Barnidge and Jim Dray. They are poised to lose fellow tight end Jordan Cameron in free agency. It's more than possible that the Browns attempt to replace Cameron in free agency, which affects both Barnidge and Dray, though it's Barnidge who would feel the effects of the addition of a receiving tight end more than the primarily blocking Dray.

Dray ended 2014 with more receptions and yards than Barnidge, with 17 catches for 242 yards and a score, to Barnidge's 13 catches for 156 yards. However, looking at their snap breakdowns helps clarify how the two will be used going forward.

According to Pro Football Focus, Dray played 612 snaps last season—182 as a receiver, 360 as a run-blocker and 70 as a pass protector. In contrast, Barnidge played 366 snaps—181 as a receiver, 160 as a run-blocker and 25 as a pass protector. Based on those numbers, it appears that Barnidge would be the one to take over for Cameron.

That is, of course, unless the Browns add a free-agent tight end. Therefore, Barnidge's 2015 role will be affected greatly by how the Browns address the tight end position, particularly during free agency.

The Quarterback

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Right now, the Browns' starting quarterback for 2015 is not yet known. It could be the recently signed Josh McCown. It could be 2014 first-round draft pick Johnny Manziel. It could be fellow second-year player Connor Shaw. It could even be someone not currently on Cleveland's roster.

But whoever it is that starts come Week 1, this free-agency period will have a significant impact on his success or failure.

The Browns need to add a tight end to replace Jordan Cameron. They need additional receiving help, especially given Josh Gordon's minimum one-year suspension. They may even augment or upgrade the offensive line, affecting the Browns' pass protection and run blocking. Any or all of these scenarios could be addressed in free agency, significantly shifting the Browns' offensive landscape as it currently stands.

Though we don't know who the quarterback for Week 1 (or beyond) will be, we can easily see how this year's free-agency period could impact whoever ends up under center for the Browns. 

OLB Barkevious Mingo

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Among the Browns' free agents expected to play elsewhere in 2015 is outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard. Sheard, who totaled two sacks, 44 tackles, five tackles for a loss and three passes defensed in 2014, played 690 snaps in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus, splitting time with 2013 first-round draft pick Barkevious Mingo.

Without Sheard on the roster, Mingo could evolve into a full-time starter, much like fellow outside linebacker Paul Kruger. Mingo totaled 42 tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery, two tackles for a loss and four passes defensed in 2014, a similar stat line as Sheard's with nearly the same number of snaps played (681).

However, should the Browns sign a veteran edge-rusher—for example, Trent Cole, who has announced he's spending both Sunday and Monday in Cleveland meeting with the team—he could yet again find himself as part of a timeshare.

That's not a bad thing. Rotational front sevens and situational pass-rushers are par for the course both in the NFL and in head coach Mike Pettine's and defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil's system. But it would be a disappointment for the first-round pick, who has yet to show what he's capable of on a full-time basis.

Mingo's evolution to becoming a three-down linebacker could be held up depending on whom the Browns sign in free agency.