NFL Free Agency: Should Cleveland Browns Pursue Osi Umenyiora, Asante Samuel?

The Cleveland Browns have been completely silent in free agency so far this "offseason(?)."

Nothing screams "free-agent splash" like Usama Young and Brandon Jackson. They did retain Jayme Mitchell and first-rounder Phil Taylor finally inked his deal.

But the Browns also lost Eric Wright to Detroit and lost, er, never had or gave back Brodrick Bunkley, who is down in Denver.

Some believe that there is a need to fill those two holes that have been left. And two names that will invariably come up are DE Osi Umenyiora for the New York Giants and CB Asante Samuel of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Umenyiora is frustrated with management after being promised a new deal and not getting one and has been told that he and his agent can seek out a trade. The only problem is that the Giants are saying the price is a first-round pick. Kind of a high price considering that monetarily they don't think he's worth that much.

The price for Umenyiora will need to come down before any teams will get seriously involved there.

But Osi's talents can't be avoided. He's only 29 years old, has 60 career sacks in nine seasons (including 11.5 last year) and was instrumental in the Giants' huge upset of the Patriots in the Super Bowl XLII.

It would be awesome if the Browns could add a player like Umenyiora to anchor the front of that new 4-3 defense.

Asante Samuel is not officially on the trade block as of right now. But the Eagles have picked up Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie over the past week. Keeping three Pro Bowl corners may not be in the cards for Philadelphia.

Samuel, 30, has also played nine years in the NFL and has been elite for a long time going back to his days in New England. He has 42 career interceptions with seven last year.

Tom Heckert still has a good relationship with the Eagles front office despite what may or may not have happened with Bunkley. He could swing a deal for Samuel much like he did last year in getting Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong.

The question is, "Will the Browns actually make a push for either of these guys?"

After all those good things I said about them, I don't think so.

Heckert has firmly established over the past week or so that he's not going to go out and make a big move just because we all would like him too. He's set on building through the draft.

And I'm actually fine with that. His first year was pretty dang good with Colt McCoy, Joe Haden, T.J. Ward and (hopefully) Montario Hardesty.

And don't forget that Peyton Hillis wasn't exactly a "sexy" name when we got him in the trade for Brady Quinn.

Who knows? Maybe Usama Young will be able to start and play well in the defensive backfield with Ward. And maybe Buster Skrine (who had a pick-six off McCoy on Tuesday) can solidify himself as the nickle corner. And maybe Mitchell and second-rounder Jabaal Sheard can hold down the DE spots.

Hopefully everything will pan out and result in a winning season for the Browns in 2011.

However, only one question remains...

Terrell Owens, anyone?

You can follow me on Twitter @ClevelandFlack