How the Browns Can Make the Most of League-High Cap Space in 2017 NFL Offseason

There isn't a team in the National Football League in better position to be a player in free agency this spring than the Cleveland Browns. Per Spotrac, the Browns have a staggering $105 million in cap space with which to improve the club in 2017.

That's a good thing, too. Because there also isn't a team in the NFL more in need of improvement than the Browns after a 1-15 nightmare of a season last year.

The Browns will also get a big opportunity to get better in the 2017 NFL draft. The team has 10 picks in Philadelphia, including a handful in the draft's first three rounds.

However, first things first. Before the Browns can worry about the draft, they have to address free agency. In fact, what the Browns do at the end of April may be in large part dictated by what they accomplish in a few weeks.

But what should the plan be? How should general manager Sashi Brown and the Browns braintrust spend all that coin? What course(s) of action will best serve the Browns as they attempt to climb out of the AFC North basement?

Here's one plan of attack that would put them on the right track.

(In-)House Cleaning

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The first order of business for any NFL team in free agency is addressing their own prospective free agents. The Browns have eight unrestricted free agents in 2017, but only one the team absolutely has to bring back.

Luckily, they appear to already be on the case in that regard.

Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are already commencing contract talks with wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, who led the team with 1,007 receiving yards in 2016.

Pryor told Cabot he wants to be part of the rebuilding process on Lake Erie.

"I have no problem with, just because we were 1-15 or whatever this year, coming back,'' he said. "I don't mind starting fresh next year and continuing to grow, because I think it's more exciting when you're on the bottom. I'm always citing starting from the bottom and getting to the top, and I think it's a greater feeling and it would be great to give Cleveland what they're looking for.''

The franchise tag is a possibility if the Browns and Pryor can't work out an extension, but it behooves both player and team to get a deal done that would likely pay Pryor in the $9-10 million range annually.

It's equally imperative the Browns retain tailback Isaiah Crowell, who paced Cleveland with just over 950 rushing yards in 2016.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, extension talks between the team and Crowell reached a "stalemate" last month. But with the 24-year-old a restricted free agent this year, the Browns still hold nearly all of the cards in negotiations.

It's relatively simple. In addition to the right of first refusal, the Browns would receive a first- or second-round pick as compensation for Crowell if they place the corresponding tender on him and he signs elsewhere.

That tender would cost the Browns in the neighborhood of $3-4 million, depending on the round tendered and based on last year's amounts.

Were Brown to go the aggressive route and slap a Round 1 tender on Crowell, he isn't going anywhere. He's a talented young tailback. But not so talented that a team's going to give up a first-round pick to get him.

It's a different story with the Browns' other prominent RFA. Or at least Josh Gordon will be a restricted free agent if he's reinstated by the NFL.

There will be no shortage of fans calling for the Browns to tender Gordon, if only to try to swing a trade involving the wildly talented but equally troubled wide receiver.

But unless the Browns have had a 180-degree change of heart since Gordon's last misstep, that isn't going to happen.

As head coach Hue Jackson told Cabot last September, "What's best for our football team is that we move forward and move on.''

Address the Quarterback Position

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It's become an annual rite of passage in Cleveland—the yearly quest to end the litany of failures that is the Browns at quarterback since they re-joined the NFL in 1999.

Last year, it was the signing of Robert Griffin. But after his attempt at a career comeback was thwarted by injury in the first game of the 2016 campaign, ESPN.com's Pat McManamon expects the Browns to move on from Griffin this offseason.

McManamon is one of a number of pundits who expects the Browns to take a run at Tyrod Taylor if he's released by the Buffalo Bills.

According to Cabot, the odds of Taylor opening the 2017 season as the Browns' starter went up when Cleveland named David Lee their new quarterbacks coach.

"I believe the likelihood of acquiring Taylor increased last week," Cabot said, "when the Browns hired quarterbacks coach David Lee, who spent the past two years coaching Taylor in Buffalo, where he went 14-14. From what I understand, Lee likes Taylor a lot and would welcome continuing to work with him. By March 11, the Bills must decide if they'll stick with Taylor and guarantee him $30.75 million, release him, or try to renegotiate."

There's another possibility. It's an even more expensive proposition than signing Taylor. But it's a price the Browns are uniquely qualified to pay, and if it pays off, Cleveland might finally have the franchise quarterback they have sought for so long.

It's believed that the New England Patriots are seeking a first-round pick (at least) in return for contract-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. That compensation, and the fat extension that would accompany it, adds more than a bit of risk to dealing for a quarterback with 94 career pass attempts.

However, Bleacher Report NFL National Lead Writer Mike Tanier is sold on the idea of Garoppolo as an NFL starter.

"The Browns could use a pre-developed quarterback who is ready to assume a leadership role on a young offense," Tanier wrote. "Garoppolo looks like a sound fit in Hue Jackson's system, which helped turn Andy Dalton into an efficient, reliable quarterback. And unlike the other quarterback-needy teams, the Browns can give the Patriots something they want—the Patriots haven't selected in the top half of the draft since 2008 and would welcome a crack at a blue-chip rookie—without mortgaging their future at other positions. If they have to throw in some extra picks, the Browns have them to spare."

Both of these possibilities have their critics. There are those who believe it would be wiser to spend that 12th overall pick (or even No. 1) on a quarterback and let Griffin, Cody Kessler or even that rookie guide the offense in 2017.

And as Will Brinson of CBS Sports reported, there's been growing speculation the Patriots aren't really interested in dealing Garoppolo at all.

With that said, there are a few truths about this situation.

There isn't a quarterback in this year's draft who is the consensus top player at his position, much less worthy of the first overall pick.

If the Browns wait until No. 12, they will likely be taking the third (or even fourth) signal-caller of the round, given QB-needy clubs like San Francisco and Chicago lurking between Cleveland's first pick and their second.

And if the Browns are forced to endure another one- or two-win season in 2017, the patience of ownership with the coaching staff and front office is going to be sorely tested.

Ask Mike Pettine how that usually plays out.

Or Rob Chudzinski.

Or Pat Shurmur.

Or Eric Mangini.

Hit the Offensive Line...HARD.

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It isn't going to matter who the Browns' quarterback is in 2017 unless the team does something about their awful offensive line.

And that means it's time for Brown to spend some of that cap space.

The right side of the line was especially awful in 2016, and there are options available that could go a long way toward shoring it up—even if those upgrades won't come cheap.

Kevin Zeitler of the Cincinnati Bengals is generally considered not only the best right guard available in free agency, but also the best guard overall. The 26-year-old ranked sixth at the position last year, per Pro Football Focus.

Despite that lofty ranking, Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Enquirer expects Zeitler to hit the open market.

"I continue to feel confident Kevin Zeitler will be playing elsewhere in 2017," Dehner said. "When Bengals free agency comes up, it always starts with (tackle) Andrew Whitworth and usually skips over the 26-year-old guard."

Mind you, Zeitler might easily command an annual salary of over $10 million on the open market. But he's a durable, versatile lineman just now entering his prime.

If the Browns are going to hand out fat contracts in free agency, Zeitler is exactly the sort of player they should target.

At right tackle, the Browns have a choice. Re-sign free agent Austin Pasztor (who ranked a respectable 35th at his position last year, per PFF) or pursue outside options like Marshall Newhouse of the New York Giants or Riley Reiff of the Detroit Lions. Pasztor wasn't awful in 2016, and he might be available at a cost that would free up additional resources to pursue a center.

Because dear Lord do the Browns need a center. There is not a a word in the English language to adequately describe how awful Cameron Erving was in 2016. He ranked dead last at the position at Pro Football Focus by a jaw-dropping margin.

Bleacher Report NFL Lead Scout Doug Farrar and the scouts at the B/R 1000 ranked Green Bay's JC Tretter as free-agency's top center, followed by A.Q. Shipley of the Arizona Cardinals and Brian Schwenke of the Tennessee Titans.

"Of Green Bay's two centers," Farrar said, "Tretter is more athletic than Corey Linsley, and he'd be an ideal fit for any pass-heavy team in need of a center who can flare out to deal with different fronts and stunts and drive up to linebacker level on combo blocks. He'd work well in a power-based offense with the right kinds of guards around him, but it's his agility that will sell Tretter to whichever team signs him next."

This is an expensive overhaul I'm talking about. Between Zeitler, a right tackle and a center who doesn't think he's a matador, the Browns could easily burn through over $25 million in average annual salary.

A big portion of of that cap space would go POOF!

But if there's only one goal on this list the Browns accomplish, upgrading the offensive line that ranked in the bottom five in both run blocking and pass protection last year, per Football Outsiders, has to be it.

If they don't, none of the rest is going to matter.

And the Defensive Line Too

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It's scheme change time (again) for the Cleveland Browns on defense.

Ray Horton and his 3-4 are gone, replaced by the four-man front of new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

And that means it's shake-up time along the defensive line.

The Browns have some young building blocks in ends Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib. And there's been a ton of scuttlebutt already that the Browns could target Texas A&M's Myles Garrett with the first overall pick.

However, after ranking 30th in the NFL in sacks last year, the Browns are likely also going to be in the market for a veteran pass-rusher. Additionally, the team doesn't appear to have a good in-house fit as the starter at the "three-technique" tackle spot.

This is the point where fans will start clamoring for the "big guns" like Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short and New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. But the Panthers are expected to franchise tag Short if a long-term deal can't be worked out, and Pierre-Paul is reportedly angling for a deal that will pay him over $15 million a season.

For that kind of coin, the Browns can get an end and a tackle and have money left over for ice cream after.

John Kosko of Pro Football Focus recently ranked end Mario Addison of the Carolina Panthers as one of the most underrated free agents in all of the NFL this year.

"Addison has always been a decent pass-rusher," he said, "but took his game to the next level in 2016, cracking double-digit sacks for the first time his in career. Ranking second among 4-3 defensive ends in pass-rushing productivity, Addison totaled 10 sacks, five hits, and 51 QB pressures on just 294 pass rushes. In addition to becoming a more impactful pass-rusher, he had his best season in run defense, recording career highs in tackles and defensive stops. Addison will be 29 years old in 2017, so his prime window will be shorter than most, but he’ll prove to be a good sub-package pass-rusher for teams."

Spotrac puts Addison's market value at just over $7 million a season—a fraction of what Pierre-Paul is believed to be seeking.

That leaves plenty of cheddar to sign that three-technique, whether it's a young up-and-comer like Johnathan Hankins of the New York Giants, a breakout player like Nick Fairley of the New Orleans Saints or a lesser option like Tyson Alualu of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Add a couple of new faces to the youngsters already in town, mix in the player most believe the best prospect at any position this year in Garrett and shake well—and Williams should have something to work with up front in 2017.

Solidify the Secondary

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If the Cleveland Browns do everything I've suggested so far (and why wouldn't they? I know stuff), the team would blow through upwards of $70 million in cap space on an incredibly aggressive set of moves.

And we're not done yet.

The Browns were 21st in pass defense in 2016 and allowed a league-worst 36 passing scores. That's partly attributable to the team's lack of a pass rush, but the secondary bears part of the blame as well.

For that reason, Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Sean Tomlinson believes the Browns should take a run at Houston Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye, who might well be the crown jewel of free agency at one of the NFL's most important positions.

"Bouye is one of the league's fastest-rising cornerbacks after his 14 passes defensed in 2016," Tomlinson said, "and at 25 years old, youth is on his side, too. He would immediately give the Browns a shutdown cornerback, which they used to have until Joe Haden's career started to sputter."

Targeting one of the top free-agent cornerbacks like Bouye or Trumaine Johnson of the Los Angeles Rams could be tricky though. Those young cover men will probably command $12 million or more a season, and Cleveland is already doling out huge money to Haden.

Doubling up in that regard would mean either eschewing another position of need or that the writing on the wall regarding Haden's future with the Browns. Still, whether it's big-money Bouye or a less costly option like Dre Kirkpatrick of the Bengals or Captain Munnerlyn of the Minnesota Vikings, it's a safe bet the Browns will add a cornerback in free agency.

Possibly more than one.

The Browns also badly need to upgrade at the back end after their young safeties struggled mightily with injuries and poor play in 2016.

Luckily for the Browns, this year's free-agent crop at the position is a bumper one. Players like Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs, Tony Jefferson of the Arizona Cardinals and Barry Church of the Dallas Cowboys are all Pro Bowl-caliber safeties in their prime who have a real chance at seeing the open market.

As the Dallas Morning News reported, Church told an area radio station that situation is an important consideration in his decision.

But so is the number of zeros on his paycheck.

"For me, money is a big priority in the decision making, but so is being happy and so is being on a team that can win and compete for a championship," Church said on 105.3 The Fan. "So we'll see what goes. We'll see what happens."

Much like on the offensive line, overhauling the secondary is not going to be a cheap proposition.

But it's also more than a luxury—it's a necessity.

Bargain-Bin Options

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As much as fans of the Browns would like to see the team engage in the sort of orgy of free-agent spending it would take to check off every box on this list, that probably isn't going to happen.

Even were they to try, getting big names to agree to come to Cleveland has become an uphill climb. The harsh reality is that cellar-dwellers often have to pay a "loser's premium"—to bump contract numbers to compensate for negative perceptions surrounding the franchise.

Whether through frugality or necessity, the Browns are likely going to need to improve the team in a spot or two with players from the scratch-and-dent rack.

However, sometimes it's the quiet signings that make the loudest impact, and there are some options that could be just such a bargain for the Browns in 2017.

Jeremy Kerley, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Kerley had arguably the best season of his six-year career in 2016, hauling in 64 passes for the 49ers. The 28-year-old isn't going to wow anyone or take the top off a defense, but Kerley is a savvy route-runner who would provide the Browns with a capable complementary target underneath.

Chance Warmack, OG, Tennessee Titans

To say that Warmack hasn't played like a top-10 pick to this point in his career is an understatement. However, Warmack was selected that highly back in 2013 for a reason; he's only 25, and Warmack should be available at a significantly lower price than this year's high-end options inside.

John Sullivan, C, Washington Redskins

Sullivan's a 31-year-old journeyman who hasn't been a full-time starter since 2014 with the Minnesota Vikings. But he looked decent in limited action in 2016, and the Browns absolutely have to do something about the center position this spring.

Charles Johnson, DE, Carolina Panthers

At 30 years old, Johnson's best days as a pass-rusher appear to be behind him. However, the 10-year pro graded out 11th among 4-3 ends last year, per Pro Football Focus, and could provide veteran leadership for a very young cadre of defensive ends in Cleveland.

Leon Hall, CB, New York Giants

Hall ranked 41st among NFL cornerbacks at PFF in just under 400 snaps last year for the Giants. The 32-year old has experience both manning the slot and even playing a bit of safety—versatility that the Browns could use in the secondary.

Darius Butler, S, Indianapolis Colts

In many respects, Butler is a slightly smaller, slightly younger version of Hall—an aging cornerback who made the switch to free safety late in the 2016 season. That sort of "hybrid" defensive back is all the rage in today's NFL.