Storyline: I like A.J. Bouye, Eric Berry, and Latavius Murray. Here’s why. Written by Connor Bailey, Cleveland, OH
Free agency for the Cleveland Browns has been a hot topic without much action to back it up.
Courtesy: NEO Sports Insiders
Many fans hear ‘free agency’ and immediately flash back to when Cleveland signed the aging trio of Dansby, Whitner, and Trufant. Fans may also remember the time in 2015 when the Browns had a meeting with Darrelle Revis. But Revis ultimately ended up signing with the Jets.
However, most fans will probably focus on the most recent off-season and what the new Browns’ regime did. That’s the most likely predictor of what will happen during the upcoming free agency window.
Last off-season the Browns let a lot of draft talent walk away from the team, most notably Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartz, Travis Benjamin, and Tashaun Gipson. It’s unknown why these players weren’t re-signed, but there’s a lot of speculation that it was done to acquire future compensatory draft picks. A team can build for the future that way.
But there was positive action last year. Cleveland signed Demario Davis and Robert Griffin III, among others. The same thing could happen this year. Terrelle Pryor and Jamie Collins are upcoming unrestricted free agents. Both players have expressed interest in returning to Cleveland–if the money is right.
But even if they’re on the team, the Browns still have glaring weaknesses on both sides of the ball. With that in mind, here are my thoughts about which free agents should be targeted for signing.
Courtesy: CBS Houston – CBS Local
A.J. Bouye, Cornerback Houston, Age 25: Bouye was an undrafted free agent (Central Florida) in 2013 when he signed with the Texans. He suffered a hamstring injury early in his career, but eventually became a key contributor in a well-respected Houston defense. It was not until this year that Bouye broke out with a career-high 62 tackles and 16 passes defended. Pro Football Focus (PFF) has him graded as the 4th ranked corner with a 90.9 out of 100. There’s no question that the Browns could use help in the secondary. Joe Haden and Tramon Williams are aging and A.J. is a good, young corner who would make an immediate impact. Based on spotrac.com’s assessment (estimated market value and the contracts of corners around his age and ability), I would offer Bouye a contract somewhere in the range of $45,000,000 over 5 years.
Courtesy: USA Today
Eric Berry, Free Safety Kansas City, Age 28: Berry is one of the best free safeties in pro football. The Chiefs don’t have a lot of cap space to work with and the team will likely use available resources to re-sign DT Dontari Poe. The reason I like Berry is that PFF has him as the 7th-ranked safety overall with a respectable 87.8 grade. He also enjoyed a productive season with 77 tackles, a forced fumble, and four interceptions. The Browns need help at safety. Cleveland went into this season starting Jordan Poyer, who was placed on the IR after taking a hard hit in Week 6. Berry would be able to improve Cleveland’s safety play tremendously. But his signing would go against what the Browns’ front office appears to be doing–signing younger players with upside to team-friendly deals. That being said, I would still offer Berry somewhere in the ballpark of 5 years and $50,000,000. He’s just that good.
Courtesy: Matt Kartozian,USA TODAY Sports
Latavius Murray, Running Back Oakland, Age 26: I like Crow and Duke, but Cleveland would really benefit from another offensive weapon. Murray, Bouye’s teammate at UCF, was picked by the Raiders in the 6th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He’s a 6’3” 230 lb. RB who can run, catch, and block. Over his 3-year career Murray has produced almost 3,000 total yards from scrimmage. He also ranked 3rd in ’16 on PFF’s list of the best pass-blocking RBs. The Browns could really benefit from his pass blocking because our QBs end up on their back sides too often. Oakland may be inclined to let Murray walk because they seem to be relying on running-back-by-committee. In addition to Murray, Oakland has DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard. We all know that there’s not a huge market for RBs in the NFL, so the Browns may be able to acquire Murray fairly cheaply. I would offer him somewhere around 4 years and $16,000,000. If signed, Murray will make an immediate impact. He’s a playmaker.
