DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Free Agency

Joyner used to have some buzz, but it's been a bit. Looks like he's only started all 16 games once in his career (though being a slot corner could make that misleading.) A 5'8" db who is now 30 that had bad agility when drafted probably isn't the best bet. link

I only posted it up because the last time we got a true safety that failed going after CB money it turned out pretty good for us (albeit, before he went coocoo).

Joyner was a big disappointment in LV. He was supposed to be an enforcer there, and I actually forgot he even played there

Keanu Neal is kind of interesting to me. Will be 2 years removed from his Achilles injury and managed 100 tackles last season. Could be a fit in a LB/S role if we go 3 safeties more as has been talked about. He's only 25 still. Wonder what his price tag will be.

Lavonte David and Shaq Barrett become free agents.

I'd take both at less than absolute top prices.

Surprising move IMO ...

I'm cracking the vault for David right now if I'm Berry.

I have liked Lavonte David since his days in Nebraska I was hoping we would draft him, GO GET HIM ...

j/c:

Please don’t tag Carl Lawson, please don’t tag Carl Lawson. . .

One of the guys I like...I'd be very happy if we ended up with him, Trey Hendrickson, or Carl Lawson.

Was listening to a Cincinnati beat writer who thinks its pretty much a done deal that they are doing it. We'll see!

No one in free agency freaks me out as much as Trey Hendrickson.

I've been on this bandwagon since I put together a list of potential DE's at the end of the season.

He'd be a fine addition to that DLine. If he and Myles both stay healthy all year, and if we can add some impact next to Richardson, that DLine will be a wrecking crew.

j/c:

The more edge guys on the market the better for us.

Getting Carl Lawson would be the home run.

Damn you, James Rapien!

I was thinking that I'd be surprised if the Bengals tagged Lawson. Rumor has it that Mike Brown still has his First Communion money in a cigar box that he keeps hidden in his sock drawer.

j/c:

Lol.

We’ll always have those two hours where he was going to be a free agent.

Kind of thought that was a pipe dream.

Jayon Brown maybe?

Bengals will resign him.

Browns still have Bud Dupree, Carl Lawson, Haason Reddick, and other edge-rushers on their radar as franchise deadline passes
Updated 5:58 PM; Today 5:58 PM

By Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bengals edge-rusher Carl Lawson posted a photo of himself on Twitter Tuesday after the 4p.m. franchise deadline passed with the caption “Guns for hire.’'

Lawson, 25, is one of least half a dozen edge-rushers still on the Browns radar heading into free agency next week after the tagging deadline passed.

One premier defender who was in their sights became unavailable Tuesday when the Bucs extended linebacker Lavonte Davis. He agreed to terms on what amounts to a two-year worth $25 million, including $20 million guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine.




The Bucs had always maintained that they wanted to keep their defensive captain, but it seemed uncertain after they franchised receiver Chris Godwin on Tuesday. The move also paved the way for edge-rusher Shaquil Barrett to possibly hit the market, but they seem intent on keeping him too.

Of the defensive linemen the Browns targeted, only the Giants Leonard Williams was franchised. The move was no surprise, considering that Williams, who played inside in 2020, finished seventh in the NFL with 11.5 sacks, and led all players at his position with 30 QB hits.

As it stands, the Browns should be able to land one of the top free agent pass-rushers in a saturated market for the position.




In addition to the estimated $24.6 million in cap space they already had, they cleared $3 million more on Tuesday by releasing defensive end Adrian Clayborn, who signed a two-year deal last offseason worth $5.75 million. In 15 games with two starts, he notched 12 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He was the 17th-best Browns defensive player, according to profootballfocus.com.

With the Browns seeking to replace Olivier Vernon, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the season finale, they’ll target a pass-rusher who can deliver double-digit sacks, and there are plenty of candidates.

One of the most intriguing is Lawson, whom some thought the Bengals might franchise. The Bengals want to keep him, but might not be able to.

A fourth-round pick in 2017, Lawson earned the No. 9 pass-rush grade in the NFL by profootballfocus.com. He had only 5.5 sacks, but should come close to doubling that while playing opposite Myles Garrett. He also tied for 15th in the NFL with 34 hurries. Spotrac.com estimates his market value at $8.8 million a year, but pff.com has him at $13.75 million a year.


The Browns also like Broncos’ eight-time Pro Bowler Von Miller, but the Broncos are trying to re-work his $17.5 million 2021 salary to keep him.

Here’s a look at a few of the other edge-rushers that will hit the market — with the negotiating period beginning Monday — if their teams don’t sign them first:

Pittsburgh’s Bud Dupree

Age: 28 Market Value: $18.2 million a year

The Steelers opted not to tag Dupree, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 12, for a second straight season. Coming off 11.5 sacks in 2019, they franchised him in 2020 at $15.8 million, and he was on his way to another double-digit sack sack season before he tore the ACL against the Ravens. He finished second on the team to T.J. Watt with eight sacks, and has 19.5 over the past two seasons for eighth-most in the NFL.

Dupree, who turned 28 in February, said recently that doctors told him he should be full-go by training camp in August.

But like the other top edge-rushers on the market, he won’t come cheap. Spotrac.com estimates his market value at about $18.2 million a year, which would make him the second-highest paid player on the team behind fellow edge-rusher Myles Garrett.


Tampa Bay’s Shaquil Barrett

Age: 28 Market Value: $19.7 million a year (per spotrac.com)

A 3-4 outside linebacker, Barrett isn’t necessarily a scheme-fit in defensive coordinator Joe Woods’ 4-3 base defense, but teams aren’t in their base much these days anyway. He’s be an excellent complement to Garrett and undoubtedly return to double digit sacks in 2021. A 2019 Pro Bowler, he led the NFL with 19 sacks in 2019, and played under the franchise tag in 2020. He had only eight sacks in 2020 for 21st in the NFL, but tied for the NFL lead with 24 hurries, and ranked sixth with 42 pressures, including 11 in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. In 2020, he ranked 21st out of 108 qualifying edge-rushers by profootballfocus.com.

Baltimore’s Yannick Ngakoue

Age: 25 Market Value: $15.5 million a year

As is the case with Dupree and Lawson, the Browns would not only be strengthening themselves, but weakening a division rival with this signing. The Browns tried to trade for Ngakoue last year when he was with Jacksonville, but talks broke down when he changed agents midstream. Still, I was told he really like the Browns and wanted to play here. A 2017 Pro Bowler, Ngakoue tied for 21st in the NFL last season with eight sacks in Minnesota and Baltimore, and could probably increase that total here with some continuity. He’s not great against the run, but could be very effective as a situational pass rusher.


Arizona’s Haason Reddick

Age: 26 Market Value: $11.6 million a year

The No. 13 overall pick in 2017, Reddick became expendable when the Cardinals signed J.J. Watt. But he’s coming off a breakout season in which he tied for fourth in the NFL with 12.5 sacks, a half more than Garrett. Five of them came in Week 14 against the Giants, but he also led the NFL with six forced fumbles. Pff.com had him ranked as the 25th best edge-rusher out of 108 who qualified.

New Orleans’ Trey Hendrickson

Age: 26 Market Value: $10.3 million a year

Hendrickson finished second in the NFL to T.J. Watt with 13.5 sacks in his first season as a starter. Even Sean Payton noted that he’ll get paid this offseason because of it. Question is, can he sustain that level of production? He also tied for 20th in the NFL with 14 tackles for loss, and was ranked the 28th-best edge-rusher out of 108 by pff.com.

Tennessee’s Jadeveon Clowney

Age: 28 Market Value: $6.5 million a year


The Browns liked Clowney enough last offseason to make him a higher one-year offer than anyone else, and a competitive mulit-year deal. He opted to sign with Tennessee, where he was reunited with his former Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, for one-year, $13 million. But he missed eight games with a knee injury that required surgery, and didn’t have a sack in his first eight games. But he’s still a premier edge defender who’s great against the run, and would likely have more sack production here opposite Garrett. The Browns could get a player they really like at a bargain price this year.


https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2021/03...ine-passes.html

This is a great free agency period to need an edge guy. I can see us going semi big money on one player (Lawson, Dupree, Ngakoue, etc) and then going after a lesser player on a one year deal (McKinley, Clowney, etc.).

Lawson, Reddick, or Okwara, please. Heck, Give me two of the three and we could have some really interesting sets on 3rd downs.

Need to start tracking which DT's are likely to get cut. We have a BIG hole next to Richardson. I'm not a fan of putting all our eggs in the basket that is being held by a guy that didn't play at all last year.

I like Lawson and Dupree, but probably not enough to pay them what they end up going for. I might try Clowney as a bandaid for a year while we develop a rookie like Oweh. Hopefully our showing in the playoffs has him more amenable this time around.

I'd like to get Sheldon Rankins at DT. Let Billings play running downs, and have Rankins get after the passer.

I'm a little bit worried about CB. We're rather thin there. None of the names are particularly enticing in FA. Maybe Griffin, but he'll probably get paid. I'm really not sure what Woods wants to do at CB. We seemed to play a lot of soft coverage, but hopefully that was mostly due to our safety situation.

If the price is right, I think I'd prefer adding Keanu Neal for the JOK (LB/S "hang defender") role rather than drafting the rookie, especially as it looks like he'd require a trade up.

I'd probably try to take a flier on Malik Hooker, too. He'd be Delpit "insurance"/a buy low candidate and could also let us move Delpit around.

Hooker in the deep middle with Delpit, Neal, and Harrison moving around sounds good to me. Of course they'd all have to stay healthy, but I'd guess that concern might bring the cost down.

Adding Carl Lawson and Anthony Harris would be very nice

I agree. In was a monster at DT is more important than another edge....or at least as important IMO.

I see it this way, you will have a hard time double teaming 2 D linemen. Not without removing something from your offensive mix.

j/c:

Alexander isn’t as old as I thought he was ..

seven dollars more million... read what you write, Adam.

Hookt on fonix wurkt fur me!



I wouldn't hate it if we brought in Jenkins to bolster the secondary.