I feel like when a beat reporter follows up to a past report of a visit like this, it normally means that there is something more to the situation, IMO.

I'm guessing RapSheet is following this rather hard and probably thinks, based on what's he is hearing, things may be a bit further along and is trying to play neutral without showing his hand unless things go sour during negotiations.

And I'm saying this as someone who isn't clamoring at the idea that we sign Clowney. I have some concerns about him and his potential price tag. I just think these types of tweets, as nebulous as they can sometime be, can often be leading in a certain direction.

We'll see.

I actually don't worry about his price tag because I have zero worries of Andrew Berry taking on a foolish signing just to chase a name. I'm pretty confident in him either doing it the right way or just passing on it and moving on to Plan B, Plan C..., Plan Z, etc...

Berry is doing a fantastic job by all accounts but I don't see him as being flawless or omniscient when it comes to making the right decision. In fact, I think his first signing as our GM is rather questionable in Hooper (so far).

That said, I trust Berry is considering all angels when it comes to Clowney or any FA for that matter and he deserves the benefit of the doubt due to this overall decisions. But he chased McKinley last year and got him, so I'm guessing he is chasing Clowney in a similar fashion and wants to land him as well. I hope the chase doesn't wind up in paying extra just to get him. That's all I'm saying.

Here is the "thing" about Clowney.

He has not been able to play without injury.

There is no doubt that when he is healthy. He is a force.

There are few people that have his size, strength, quickness and power. He ran a 4.53.

He was picked number one overall in 2014 for a reason.

The reason he has not gotten that big second deal. Injuries.

Berry has been steadfast about what he will offer. He was in on a number of free agents but stayed firm to his plan.

He has a number he will pay for Clowney. Clowney may or may not accept that. In the end he may find the number he feels he is worth is not out there. He may have to accept one year deals until he proves he can stay on the field.

At 28 with the Browns and the players on this team. He will not be asked to be "the man." And stay on the field for every play. That may appeal to him because it will give him a better opportunity to stay healthy.

I would like to get Clowney. And I am confident that Berry will not go overboard.

Injuries are certainly a concern. It's that coupled with the price it would cost to take on the likelihood of an injury.

I just don't want another Olivier Vernon at $15M/year. Or even at the $11M this past season.... unless like many of these contracts in 2021, it'd be incentive-laden based on performance.

Clowney's price will come down. I got a feeling he will do what he did last year and wait until he can miss OTAs. There is something about him that bothers me, I don't think he plays full tilt all the time. A guy with his talent, that can't find a team that will give him a long term contract, gives me concerns. Plus, he is hurt a lot.

And Big mouth has a big mouth...

I stopped listening when he was rattling off people on the roster, and he got to "Olivier Vernon" .... who is a free agent with a serious injury to rehab.

I lol'd when he mentioned Olivier Vernon as a 2021 impact player.

His price should come down... guy has injury concerns and a history of not wanting to practice... has talent, but I'm leery...

He’s a luxury, not a must-have. I wouldn’t mind getting him, based on what he MIGHT do, but not for what he’s probably asking for.

And those character flaws.... pushing 30, he should have mitigated them. I dunno if he has, or if he hasn’t, but I do know I wouldn’t risk a lot to find out.

Cowherd is a 3rd rate hack.

That's a insult to 3rd rate hacks.

I was going to say, this board is full of 3rd rate hacks. We are better than that guy.

Once in a blue moon I will listen to Cowherd.

How guys like him have an audience is mind numbing.

He has no real knowledge and is nothing more than a paid opinion.

I find the guy obnoxious.

I dunno why but I rather take Aldon smith over Clowney.

+2 Smith is the better player. I want no part of Clowney

I was just thinking I needed a new sig. This might be it.

Aldon Smith is 31 (~3 years older), but had a long hiatus from the league.

I suppose it really boils down to if you believe Smith has exorcised his demons or not.

Not sure of that statement. Clowney plays the run much better than Smith. He does set an edge which a good defense needs.

But, he gets people to click and listen just to see what he said so that they can bash him..... so, he's a smart 3rd rate hack that gets paid well for running the same schtick over and over and over.

One might take the opposing point of view and state the our fellow Countryman are 9 cents shrot of a dime .

JC...

While nobody can deny the talent Clowney has/had, he has several flags...which to me doesn't add up to hefty money.

Yes he is only 28...But I am sure with the 15 injuries (had to look it up...that is staggering!) he has suffered in the NFL, his body is much more beat up than his age suggests.

He has a motor than runs cold at times, I have always been one for the all out effort guys...but who knows. I do think he will be better as a "wave" player versus full time starter...should improve his motor and lessen his extremely high odds of probability of being injured.

I would def. be wary of such a signing...unless the contract is rather cheap...which with him, I do doubt.

I honestly enjoy cowherd on some things... But like every once in awhile he just makes a spot in his segment called "I'm gonna randomly take jabs at cleveland today". THat said the majority of the mainstream talking heads have been real bullish on the Browns this whole offseason. They are all saying that last year was a flash in the pan. They're all saying that Odell only harms the team. (Which I think is another motive all on its own). They are all still trying to trot out that Baker is still way too immature.

I sincerely hope the Browns are listening and posting everything on their bulletin boards.

what Cowherd says about Baker or Cleveland.

Is completely meaningless and irrelevant.

His opinion has zero merit.

Come-on man.

Smith missed four years for hit and run accident.

Other than he would cost a fraction of what Clowney will get. What real expectations can you have with him?

j/c:



Clowney signing imminent.

Maybe

Not sure if I'd go that far, lol. Trevon Young didn't even count toward our salary cap.

Don’t do it Jadeveon! Lol

j/c:

What I’m hearing about Andrew Berry’s approach to defense in free agency – Terry’s Talkin’ Browns

CLEVELAND, Ohio – I talked to some of my NFL sources about what the Browns and General Manager Andrew Berry did in free agency to retool the defense. Here’s what I’m hearing:

THE MAIN THING

When free agency opened, many in the media and the fan base assumed the top priority was adding a defensive end to play opposite Myles Garrett. That narrative grew louder when T.J. Watt hit free agency early and the Browns were one of the teams bidding on him.

But the preferred move was actually adding speed in the secondary, especially in terms of finding a big time safety. It had to be a younger guy coming off a rookie contract, a player in his middle 20s who already was established but still peaking in terms of production.

Or as one source said, “There’s a difference between being aggressive and stupid in free agency. The Browns have been aggressive the last two years, but stayed away from stupid.”

A year ago, the Browns threw big money at right tackle Jack Conklin and tight end Austin Hooper. Both fit the profile of ascending players coming off rookie contracts in their middle 20s.

This year, they planned only one major free agent investment – a safety.

Meet John Johnson III.

SMART SHOPPING

The Browns targeted the Rams’ free agents because they knew Los Angeles had major salary cap problems. Talented players were going to hit the market from the NFL’s top-ranked defense.

Berry called it being “opportunistic buyers” in his press release. Notice the Browns didn’t sign just one former Rams defensive back, they added two.

As Berry said in his press release, a player such as safety John Johnson III “doesn’t usually make it to the free agent market.” Johnson signed a 3-year, $33.7 million deal ($24 million guaranteed).

Just as the front office added players a year ago to fit the head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense, this time they wanted players who’d work well in the safety-heavy system of defensive coordinator Joe Woods. He prefers safeties over linebackers. Berry believes the modern, pass-heavy NFL is faster and quicker than ever.

After Johnson, the Browns signed Rams defensive back Troy Hill (two years, $9 million). The Browns rated Hill above Terrance Mitchell, the former Brown who signed a two-year, $7 million deal with Houston.

Like Mitchell, Hill is best covering slot receivers. But the Browns believe Hill can do a solid job if he has to cover wideouts.

WHAT ABOUT THE AFC NORTH?

You can say, “The Browns play in the AFC North. You need good linebackers in this division, where teams love to run the ball.”

Guess what team led the NFL in passes attempted in 2021? Pittsburgh. The Bengals ranked 14th out of 32 teams. The Ravens were 32nd, the Browns 28th.

But the Bengals are expected to the throw the ball more in 2021, assuming QB Joe Burrow bounces back from his ACL surgery. Baltimore runs a strange spread offense with QB Lamar Jackson, requiring speed to try and control him.

The Browns are counting on their safeties to play a major role. They are hoping 2020 second-round pick Grant Delpit recovers from his season-ending Achilles surgery. They like Ronnie Harrison Jr., but he missed five games due to various injuries last season.

Don’t be surprised if the Browns add a safety in the draft.

WHAT ABOUT LINEBACKERS?

The Browns did sign a linebacker: Anthony Walker from the Colts. He is much like former Brown B.J. Goodson, only better. Goodson was considered a good leader, the Colts says Walker is a great leader. He is a strong tackler, much like Goodson.

“Walker is one of the fastest linebackers in the league,” said Berry. “His range and tenacity fits well with how we view the modern linebacker.”

Surprising fact: One of my NFL sources told me “linebackers are like running backs on offense. They have the shortest average career of any position on defense.” The reason is just as running backs take the biggest hits, it often is the linebackers delivering those blows. The body is punished, skills diminish quickly.

As the NFL writes off linebackers, their price drops. Walker signed a 1-year, $3.5 million deal. The team also re-signed linebacker Malcolm Smith ($1.2 million, $500,000 guaranteed), who is solid in pass coverage.

WHAT ABOUT J.J. WATT AND JADEVEON CLOWNEY?

The Browns looked at both veteran defensive ends. I heard they offered Watt a contract in the $8 million range that could go much higher with incentives. Watt signed a 2-year, $31 million deal with Arizona.

The Browns recently hosted Clowney. He could end up receiving an offer much like the one Watt received. The 28-year-old Clowney didn’t have a sack in eight games for Tennessee last season. He was rated good against the run, but required knee surgery.

I’m not big fan of Clowney. But the Browns could look at him as a one-year venture, much like Berry did last season when he reworked Olivier Vernon’s contract to $11 million from $15.5 million.

Vernon had only 3.5 sacks with the Browns in 2019. But in 2020, that rose to nine. He had some excellent games, especially in the second half of the season. Then Vernon blew out his Achilles in the final regular season game. That injury probably ended his career with the Browns and it’s a long road for a comeback in 2021.

WHAT ABOUT DEFENSIVE ENDS?

The Browns believe they are adding a 25-year-old defensive end at the right point in his career. Takk McKinley had 13 sacks in his first two pro seasons (2017-18). After that, he had injuries and wasn’t productive.

His $4.2 million ($3.4 million guaranteed) contract is a classic Browns exploratory contract. One year, relatively modest for a player who was a former first-round pick. I called it “exploratory,” but it’s a “let’s go this direction” move. If that decision doesn’t work out, it’s easy to change course.

Berry said: “McKinley’s skillset marries really nicely with what we look for out of our defensive ends in this system. ... He has speed, power and quickness ... an edge player with a very high motor.”

I expect the Browns to keep shopping for a defensive end.

THE QUIET SIGNING

Berry and Woods love veteran defensive tackle Malik Jackson, who signed one-year, $3.75 million deal. Berry became an admirer of the 31-year-old Jackson in 2019 while the Philadelphia assistant GM. Woods was a defensive backs coach in Denver when Jackson played there.

The Browns view him as a tackle who can put pressure on opposing QBs. But he also can play what Berry called “The Big End,” as he wants versatility on the line.

Defensive end Larry Ogunjobi has left for Cincinnati. The Browns view Andrew Billings (returning after opting out of 2020 for COVID concerns) and Jackson as a combined upgrade.

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

Brian Allen is officially back with the Cleveland Browns. The team announced it has re-signed the veteran cornerback, with exact contract terms undisclosed.

Allen joined the Browns in January when Cleveland signed him off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad. He was on the Browns’ active roster for both playoff games following the 2020 season but was inactive for the games.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound corner from Utah was originally a fifth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has played in 17 career games, including one in 2020 with the San Francisco 49ers before he found his way to Cincinnati. He offers the Browns some options on the outside with his size and physicality.

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2021/03/29/browns-sign-brian-allen-free-agency/


The Cleveland Browns have officially waived defensive end Trevon Young.

The move was first noted on Friday but did not appear until Monday on the NFL’s transaction report. Young never appeared in a game for the Browns despite being in Cleveland since the middle of the 2019 season. He spent the 2020 season on injured reserve after reverting from waivers over the summer.

Young was originally a fifth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2018 NFL draft out of Louisville. The Rams waived him during his rookie season and again in the following training camp, which eventually led to his appearance in Cleveland.

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2021/03/30/browns-officially-waive-de-trevon-young/

I've never heard of him.

Just a guy. They filter in and out pretty often and fast.

Unless you are a total roster geek, a guy like that is pretty easy to miss.

Lol!

Just saw this. Cowherd hasn't been right on anything Baker Mayfield since forever...

If he's been right on the Cleveland Browns more than any other team in the NFL, he's wrong an awfully lot.

My Pops had a pet phrase he liked to trot out for folks like this nimnull:

"The next time that due's right about something will be the first time he's right about anything..."

No on Clowney.

If we drafted one of the many good edge rushers in this draft we would probably get much the same production as if we signed Clowney and at a much cheaper price. Not to mention we would have the rookie foe awhile and we can develop him further. I had said I didn't mind if we signed Clowney but now I'm not so sure.

yeah, it looks like he’ll be waiting until TC to sign again

I think this draft class is pretty weak at edge rusher. Even if some of the top rated edge rushers fall to us I don't think it means they are more talented than what the #26 position would bring us in strong edge rushing class.

Edge rushers are a position very much in demand and valued. Much like the QB, CB, LT positions are. I believe they will be over drafted based on position and by the time we get to #26 it will be hard if not impossible to find any value at the position. I certainly hope I'm wrong about that.

I thought I read where this draft class has a lot of good edge rushers as well as other D players.

That's not what I've seen but that's coming strictly from the point of edge rushers. There is no "Myles Garrett" in this draft. Actually there's nobody close to that category. From what I see the top talent at edge rusher in this draft may not have even been considered in the top 10 of some recent drafts.

I see teams in need possibly reaching a little. Which if that happens, won't bode well for us at #26.

Beware the Kool-aid. Everybody is a world beater in HypeLand at this point. Without the Combine, I have less ideas about the Draft than I usually do.

The Edge class is weird this year.

It's possible none go in the top 20...and then have 5 go between 21 and 30.

That may seem like an impossible occurrence, but...that's what this class is.

Paye, Ojulari, Phillips, Oweh and Rousseau.

Ossai is still more of a 3-4 LBer to me. Tryon may be OK on day 2, but the top 5 above are pretty universally liked. Saying the class is weak because it doesn't have the blue chip guy at the top is king of unfair, IMO.

This years class is lacking the blue chip pass rusher(s) and a lot of the players are either better suited as 3-4 OLBs or need to add weight to be every down players.

The numbers are available. Most are listed in the pro day thread.

While there may some standard deviation from location to location v all numbers derived from one testing location, they are close enough. I don't think some locations measured off a 37 yard 40 yard dash, or used 50lb bar weights that actually weighed 40 lbs. to inflated their players numbers.

That’ll do.

Meh. I'm not thrilled about the signing

I love the signing if it comes to fruition. He's an underrated player who is both very good and consistent against the run, and he's a disruptive pass rusher who generates pressure.

He doesn't rack up the sacks but pressure means more to me than sacks because pressures are more common than sacks. I love that Nick Chubb can take it 80 yards, but I love Nick Chubb because he can consistently churn out those 4 or 5 yard runs, y'know?

Clowney is a victim of the hype which surrounded him. He's a very good football player. We're not spending the first overall pick, so I'm thrilled to be getting a very good football player on the cheap. He doesn't have to be generational.

The scheme fit is there. He's all the more lethal playing across Garrett. And, best of all, he'll probably be on a one-or-so year deal while we develop a young talent behind him.

I'd hate the signing if we needed him to be "the guy" but we just need him to be "a guy" and he's that and then some.

Ehh,, I'm not sure he's the right fit.. We all know that when healthy he's pretty darn good.. But there are too many buts mixed in with him... Not sure he's worth it.

Is there anything left in the tank?

I think at this point it's the best we could do. I just hope it's a relatively cheap rental and they double-dip in the draft.

Whatever he has left in the tank is better than whatever else we have to put out there, so I think it's definitely worth it.

He is an upgrade on Takk, he is far and away better than any other DE we have on the roster. He makes the team better.

If we can sign him for our price and term, (not his) I'm all for it.

j/c:

Fixed for you

When he left the first time we were not together on Term, price per year, or guarantee. We let him walk and let him know we were still interested but not at his numbers. We wished him luck and told him to come back if he didn't get an offer from another team that met his wants. So apparently nobody else agreed with him on his worth.

I guess this means that they don't believe there is a chance that the EDGE they like will be available @ pick 26.

The way I see it--what is there to lose? I've read that we have ~12.5 million in cap space, and only ~6 million when you reserve rookie deals from the draft. It doesn't seem like there's many other options at DE at this point in FA, so if we held off from signing Clowney with our remaining cap, what will we spend it on instead?

Clowney obviously has some inherent risk in not living up to whatever contract he is given, but his potential seems better than the alternative of not signing anybody at all, right?

I'm not sure I agree with this take. It looks to me that this FO is taking care of needs in FA so that need doesn't dictate the draft. Going into the draft needing a [insert position] too often means not taking the BPA. Fill needs in FA, even if short term solutions, and let the draft come to you.

We have $6 million or so from this year's cap ...... but we also have a rather sizeable carryover from previous years that can be used towards, or for, a free agent signing .... or for contract extensions.

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2021/02/browns-lead-nfl-in-salary-cap-carryover

Or it means they don’t have want to be forced into taking any position because of need.

Exactly, flexibility and keeping your cards close to the vest so other teams don't know who you want. I always thought it
was so stupid of teams to "leak" who they liked. This singing could also maybe, just maybe, indicate they feel there is a guy that will be available in round two or three that can be good, but will need a year playing with guys like Garrett & Clowney so Clowney gets us to 2022.

Who knows what they are thinking. The FO & scouting guys do this for 40-60 hrs a week for at least 12 weeks. I will give them the benefit.

By the way it is less fun to wait until 26, but the reason we have to is awesome.

If we're picking at #32 next year, like we all aspire to, BPA becomes less attractive. Free agency becomes more important. Being a GM is hard. Belechik played it beautifully, while he had Brady.

Maybe what I'm saying is a bit of TomAto, tomato... but by bringing in Clowney they're ensuring that the guy they're picking this year won't be forced into the fire right off the bat. It doesn't mean they don't have to nail the pick, though. We're expecting the Clowney signing to be a 1-year rental, so by buying yourself a year you're only really giving your draft pick time to soak in the playbook and get his body into NFL shape.

Or it could be that there isn't an edge player worth the #26 pick.

Kwity Paye - looks the part but needs to develop some pass rush moves.

Jaelan Phillips - Very good player but the injury history is scary, retired once because of his health and rumor is some teams took him off their boards.

Jayson Oweh - freakish athlete but his production doesn't match his abilities, also a little on the light size to be an every down player.

Greg Rousseau - put up good college numbers but most of his sacks came against OGs, good college OTs handled him easily, not the greatest athlete for a DE.

Azeez Ojulari - Good pass rusher but he's already maxed out at 6'2" 250 lbs and his game is all speed, if he can't beat the OT around the edge he is stonewalled, no power.

Or maybe they see Clowney as a rotational player as many have suggested on here and it has zero impact on the draft. With his injury history cutting down on his plays may help insure his ability to stay healthy.

j/c:

j/c...



The saga continues...

j/c

Clowney...Houston...Kerrigan...at the right price I'd be ok with either of the three.

Don't forget they like Weaver (who they stole from the Fish last summer) and there are a lot of Round-2-projected guys who aren't all that much different than the higher rated DEs (at least to my reading).

I think the FO is all about DBs...and signing Clowney gets them in even better position to draft 'em. JMO

j/c:

There are only 4 to 5 roster spots for the EDGE.

Phillips is a guy who is in the top 1/2% as far as prospects go. He will probably go much higher then folks are thinking that he will.

For that matter, he is better than anyone we could draft to fill that position this year.

The guy is 28 years old. He has enough in the tank to play out a 3-4 year deal if we did that.

He is way better than Vernon was, and nobody complained about that.

Is he? Sincere question.

I thought Vernon was going to be our cheat code for the D lined up opposite Garrett. Pretty sure Dorsey thought the same thing as he traded a blooming Peppers (or was it our All-Pro guard? Either way...).

Clowney is being brought in late in FA on what we're assuming is going to be a cheap 1-year deal.

Dorsey traded Zeitler for Vernon on Friday after the league offices closed for the weekend. Dorsey and Gettleman continued to talk, and before the weekend was over, they traded Peppers for OBJ. When the league office opened on Monday, they combined the trades to make things easier, and the final, official trade was Zeitler and Peppers for Vernon and Beckham.

I remember that the trades were combined, but I couldn't remember which was the original price for Vernon. Thank you for clarifying (OBJ trade was for a 1st rounder and Peppers, IIRC).

Regardless, the acquisition price for Vernon and Clowney is going to be very very different.

Obviously it is all opinion here.

I'm finally here! I've made it to the party and brought some chips. Has Clowney bought his house in Cleveland yet? I'm ready for him to go for broke and wreck this league Manziel style.

I am willing to risk it. Welcome the depth and his ability. ANYBODY should look great paired with MG! Watch this space!

Hopefully, he doesn't miss his flight again.

j/c...

This would be an amazing signing. Clowney is a stud. We would be able to keep all our DE's fresh with a rotation keeping Garrett out there with most the reps but keeping him fresh so that he can play 99% of the reps come Playoffs.

Tak, Clowney and an Impact edge rusher from the draft is just fine. And on passing downs who knows maybe all 4 go out to the DL???

That signing would put our D in the bracket of Championship caliber and a top 5 D

jmho

Is that what happened or is that just a guess?

Just a guess.

Cool, just wondering. I wasn't saying that as some sort of challenge. Maybe he did miss the plane.

I guess it doesn't really matter. He should be here tomorrow.

I would like to see some sort of incentives in the contract to have him Berea at least a reasonable amount of time for workouts, etc. Assuming they can even do that at this point. I am not sure where all of that stands.

What I found amusing was Josina Anderson's phrasing "There's hope to finalize a new booking soon ...", as if booking a flight to Cleveland was something akin to splitting the atom.

Maybe other cities with NFL teams don't want good players coming to Cleveland so they're sabotaging the planes?

You have no idea how much I hope you are right

The Browns have retained their entire starting offense, and will also get OBJ back.

On defense, they ad Takk, Clowney, Walker, Hill, JJIII, Jackson, and will add Billings back from self-quarantine last year, and maybe this will be the year that Greedy studs out(?).

Oh, and we have 9 draft picks, including 4 in the 1st 3 rounds.

Right now we are a better team "on paper" than we ended last year.

on paper... not on the field.

We still have room to improve with the draft.

Don't forget Delpit

https://twitter.com/spotrac/status/1382664483156463616

He's a good sport about it.

I think many are sleeping on Carlson. I think he can be a pretty solid TE.

What the Browns signing Jadeveon Clowney teaches us about Andrew Berry

By Dan Labbe, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Believe it or not, Andrew Berry is still pretty new at this GM thing. He’s done a lot of work, first solidifying the offense last offseason and then beefing up the defense this spring.

Every move is an opportunity to learn something new about the team’s top personnel man. Here’s what we learned about him after signing Jadeveon Clowney.


He’s persistent

Berry attempted to acquire defensive end Takk McKinley four times last year -- once via trade and three other times via waivers. After missing on all four, as McKinley put it, the fifth time was the charm.

Now, a year after aggressively pursuing Clowney, the Browns landed him, too.

“I got that same feeling [of relentlessness] he has for me for him,” Clowney said on Wednesday. “That is why I said, ‘This dude is very relentless.’”

Berry is strong in his convictions when he believes a player can help his team, as these two particular signings show.


He’s smart with his money

This isn’t a surprise considering Paul DePodesta plays a huge role in the operation, but this isn’t Moneyball. Instead, it’s a smart allocation of resources.

The Browns already have their high-priced edge rusher in Myles Garrett, who earned a 5-year, $125 million extension last summer. While some of us -- OK, me -- advocated for paying another top edge rusher, it became apparent early on the likes of Trey Hendrickson and Carl Lawson were simply too expensive. Sure, the Browns have cap space, but even they are feeling the pinch of a pandemic-squeezed cap and have to be smart with how much they tie up in various positions.

So they did the next best thing: signed McKinley on a flyer and Clowney on ... well, kind of another flyer. McKinley’s deal is at $4.25 million with incentives that could raise it to $6 million. Clowney’s is $8 million with incentives to raise it to $10 million.

Hendrickson signed a 4-year, $60 million deal with the Bengals while Lawson inked for three years and $45 million with the Jets. It’s not just the cost of those contracts, but the commitment beyond 2020.

The Browns added two edge rushers for about the same price and on one-year deals, providing them with flexibility. They also still have the chance to add an edge rusher early in the draft. (Yes, I still have Payton Turner from Houston circled in the second round.) It’s an efficient -- not cheap -- way to spend some money.


He recognizes the window

The roster is still talented and relatively cheap. Their quarterback is on his cost-controlled rookie deal, as is their top cornerback, while Garrett’s extension hasn’t really hit yet. According to overthecap.com, Garrett carries a cap hit of just over $9.3 million this year and a shade under $13 million next year before the number balloons to around $30 million.

This is the window of contention for a young team. There are phases to roster-building, and this is one of them -- cost-controlled talent on rookie deals freeing up bigger dollars to spend elsewhere.

Eventually, Mayfield will make starting quarterback money and Ward will make big dollars and other players at premium positions, like Jedrick Wills, will come up for new contracts. Then the roster math changes and the talent becomes top heavy and you have to really supplement with draft picks.

Berry has built a contender while giving himself the flexibility to add long-term, affordable options in the draft.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2021/04...drew-berry.html