4:51pm: Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) adds the Panthers to the list of teams with interest in Ginn.
1:15pm: Wide receiver and return man Ted Ginn Jr. became one of a handful of veteran players to hit the free agent market early when he was released on Monday by the Cardinals. Now, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Ginn is drawing interest from the Browns, who have called his agent to convey that interest. Cabot adds that a number of other teams are eyeing the Cleveland native as well.
As Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com detailed yesterday, Ginn once said that he’d be interested in finishing his career with his hometown Browns. At age 29, the next contract Ginn signs is unlikely to be his last, but the Browns would still be a good match, given the team’s huge amount of cap room, and a need at special teams. According to Football Outsiders, Cleveland ranked 14th in special teams DVOA in 2014, but that rank was buoyed by a solid kicking and punting game — the club received negative grades for kick and punt returns.
One current Browns player in favor of signing Ginn is veteran safety Donte Whitner, who said he texted head coach Mike Pettine to tell him that Ginn is interested in the Browns.
“[Pettine] said it’s definitely a consideration,” Whitner said. “There may be something to it. Hopefully it will happen. … [Ginn] can take the top off a defense and also take it to the house on returns. We need a guy like him on our team.”
If the Browns are in the market for a veteran return man, they could kick the tires on another player who became available earlier today, as the division-rival Ravens parted ways with Jacoby Jones.