The Browns didn’t re-sign many of their top unrestricted free agents when the 2016 league year opened last month, but the team has brought back several of its restricted and exclusive-rights free agents. The Browns announced today in a press release that they’ve re-signed RFA offensive lineman Austin Pasztor and linebacker Scott Solomon, along with ERFA kicker Travis Coons, wide receiver Darius Jennings, and offensive lineman Kaleb Johnson.
Of the re-signed players, Pasztor and Coons had the most significant roles on the 2015 Browns. Pasztor made four starts at left guard for the club, and has now made 27 starts in his NFL career. Given his experience at multiple positions along the offensive line, Pasztor may have an opportunity to win a full-time starting job in 2016, with Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack no longer in the mix.
Coons, meanwhile, was Cleveland’s starting kicker in his rookie season, converting 28 of 32 field goals (87.5%) and 22 of 24 extra points (91.7%). Coons was perfect on field goal tries from inside 40 yards, but missed four attempts of 40+ yards, and didn’t make a 50-yarder.
Jennings saw action in four games for the Browns down the stretch, catching 14 balls for 117 yards and earning some reps as a kick returner. Solomon, meanwhile, appeared in just two games before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury, while Johnson was claimed off waivers from Baltimore in December and didn’t see any playing time down the stretch in Cleveland.
Pasztor and Solomon both received low-end RFA tenders, so they’ll be in line for salaries of $1.671MM if they make the team. The other three players are on minimum-salary deals, and weren’t really free agents, since their only two options were to sign their respective ERFA tenders or to sit out.
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