Cleveland Browns Free Agency Preview – Starting Linebackers
In this daily series Jack Duffin & the OBR team will be taking a look at every single free agent and if/how they fit the Cleveland Browns upcoming needs this offseason.
In this daily series we will look at all of the 633 unrestricted free agents that are set to hit the market on the 11th March at noon ET, this is when teams can begin negotiating with them. Despite this, many deals will be negotiated before that time, with the combine seen as the kick off of the unofficial tampering period. There will be some that don’t make it there due to either being franchise tagged before the 4pm ET deadline on the 5th March or being extended by their current team.
Before anyone throws their toys out the pram and moans why are we covering x position when we don’t need a player there. It is important to look at every area of a roster as what you can get in free agency easily shapes what you do with extensions, trades and the draft.
A team like the Cleveland Browns are using free agency and trades to fill any starting spots on the roster as they are competing to win now and not looking to develop a starter as the season goes along. They are going to use their backup and depth spots to develop starters for the future, so when Andrew Berry is making draft picks later in the offseason keep an eye on who they might replace next year.
We will be discussing all the unrestricted free agent names across all the different positions and explaining why we believe players are targets or not and some that are in the grey area that intrigue us. Players who are restricted free agents and exclusive free agents aren’t included because they are unlikely to make it to free agency this is because they regularly return and this shouldn’t be a focus.
How these articles will be written as we will look at all the starting quality players day by day: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Tackles, Guards, Centers, Edges, Defensive Tackles, Linebackers, Cornerbacks & Safeties.
Then we will move to the rotational/backup players releasing these day by day: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Tackles, Guards, Centers, Edges, Defensive Tackles, Linebackers, Cornerbacks & Safeties.
Then we will release two articles a day for the final set:
The depth/special teams options: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Tackles, Guards, Centers, Edges, Defensive Tackles, Linebackers, Cornerbacks & Safeties.
Plus a VIP set of articles where the OBR team will all add what they would do this offseason position room by position room: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Tackles, Guards, Centers, Edges, Defensive Tackles, Linebackers, Cornerbacks & Safeties.
Then I will do one bonus article to end covering specialists since I have promised to look at all 633 players.
