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Browns To Sign Takk McKinley

March 16th, 2021 at 2:19pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Browns are getting some of the edge rushing help they’ve been seeking. Cleveland has agreed to terms on a deal with defensive end Takkarist McKinley, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports tweets.

It’s a one-year pact with a base value of $4.25MM that can be worth up to $6MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Sounds like the deal is rich on incentives, which makes plenty of sense for a player in McKinley’s circumstances. The UCLA product was the 27th overall pick in 2017, but things never worked out for him in Atlanta. By the end he was butting heads with management and blasting the team on social media, which ultimately led to him getting waived.

A bizarre saga then ensued, with a number of teams trying to claim him to cash in on his potential. He was claimed by the Bengals and then 49ers, but failed physicals with both teams and reverted to waivers each time. He was then finally claimed and cleared by the Raiders, but spent the rest of last season on Las Vegas’ injured reserve.

McKinley has shown plenty of flashes and most metrics graded him very positively when on the field recently, so it’s a nice low-risk signing for Cleveland. The story all offseason was that the Browns were looking for a big-name pass-rusher to pair next to Myles Garrett, and they expressed interest in J.J. Watt, Bud Dupree, and Trey Hendrickson before they signed with different teams.

This McKinley signing isn’t as splashy as one of those other guys would’ve been, but he’s got significant upside. Still only 25, he’s got plenty of time to turn around his career narrative.

Jets, Vikings, Browns, Bengals Interested In DE Trey Hendrickson

March 15th, 2021 at 5:05pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

With Shaquil Barrett off the board after his re-signing with Tampa Bay the group of free agent pass-rushers took a hit, but there are still plenty of quality options available. One of those options is the Saints’ Trey Hendrickson, and we now have details on what the bidding for his services looks like.

The Jets, Vikings, and Browns have all shown interest in signing Hendrickson, a source told Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). Anderson notes that list is in no particular order. We’ve heard all offseason that the Browns are looking to add a pass rusher next to Myles Garrett, so their interest isn’t surprising.

The Bengals are also interested in Hendrickson, per Anderson (on Twitter). Cincinnati did not place its franchise tag on Carl Lawson, running the risk of letting the emerging pass rusher defect in free agency. It will be interesting to see the prices for Hendrickson and Lawson. The former broke out in 2020, while the latter has been a producer for a bit longer.

Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network followed up with a tweet noting that the Jets view Hendrickson as a “great fit” for new coach Robert Saleh‘s system. New Orleans is in a really tough cap situation, and GM Mickey Loomis seemed to acknowledge last month that Hendrickson moving on was likely.

Hendrickson was a revelation last year, coming out of nowhere to start 15 games and rack up 13.5 sacks. The 2017 third-round pick had previously had only 6.5 sacks total over his first three years in the league, but set himself up nicely for a big payday in 2020. It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of contract he ends up landing. Yannick Ngakoue is another big edge rushing domino waiting to fall.

Browns, S John Johnson Agree To Deal

March 15th, 2021 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Entering the legal tampering period in need of defensive talent, the Browns are making a big move early. They agreed to terms with longtime Rams safety starter John Johnson, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

With Justin Simmons, Marcus Maye and Marcus Williams receiving the franchise tag, Johnson moved up the list of available safeties. The Browns will add the former third-round pick on a three-year, $33.75MM contract, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). Johnson will receive $24MM guaranteed in the deal.

The Rams have lost a host of key role players over the past three offseasons, with the team having made a few splashy moves. Johnson follows the likes of Rodger Saffold, Lamarcus Joyner and Cory Littleton out of Los Angeles. He joined them as a Super Bowl LIII starter and had been a Rams first-stringer since his 2017 rookie season. Being well over the cap, the Rams will lose Johnson to a team with in a better financial spot.

The Browns ranked 25th in defensive DVOA last season. They lost second-round pick Grant Delpit to injury and used multiple stopgaps at the position. This represents a much bigger investment than Cleveland made at the spot last year. Johnson will join Denzel Ward as high-end Browns secondary cogs. Pro Football Focus has regarded Johnson highly for much of his career; he ranked as PFF’s No. 3 overall safety in 2020.

Despite Johnson’s status as a high-end free agent, his contract will not quite hit the top tier among safeties. It is outside the top five at the position in both AAV and guaranteed money. But the Browns will have a key piece to team with both Delpit and Ronnie Harrison under Joe Woods going forward.

Lions, Eagles, Jaguars, Browns Pursuing S John Johnson

March 15th, 2021 at 12:53pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One of the top defenders on the market is safety John Johnson, and it sounds like there are a handful of teams hot on his tail. Johnson’s market is beginning to take shape, with the Lions, Eagles, Jaguars, and Browns all showing interest, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports hears (Twitter link).

Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio followed up by tweeting that the Browns are expected to make a “strong effort” in their pursuit of Johnson. Marcus Williams, Justin Simmons, and Marcus Maye were franchise tagged by the Saints, Broncos, and Jets respectively, only ensuring a bigger payday for Johnson by making him arguably the top safety on the market.

The Rams opted not to tag Johnson for financial reasons, and it seems like moving on from Los Angeles might be likely at this point. Johnson was the only player to play every single snap for a Rams defense that was one of the best in the league last season.

The 2017 third-round pick became a starter as a rookie, and had four interceptions as a sophomore in 2018. Perhaps the most appealing part about him is that he’s only 25 and won’t turn 26 until December.

NFL’s Fifth-Year Option Salaries For 2021

March 10th, 2021 at 12:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL’s 2021 salary cap has been set at $182.5MM, marking the league’s first reduction in a decade. With that, the league has also ironed out the value of this year’s fifth-round option for 2018 first-round picks.

Here’s the full rundown, via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter):

1. Baker Mayfield, Browns, QB — $18.858MM (playing time)

2. Saquon Barkley, Giants, RB — $7.217MM (1x Pro Bowl)

3. Sam Darnold, Jets, QB — $18.858MM (playing time)

4. Denzel Ward, Browns, CB — $13.294MM (1x Pro Bowl)

5. Bradley Chubb, Broncos, LB — $12.716MM (1x Pro Bowl)

6. Quenton Nelson, Colts, G — $13.754MM (2x Pro Bowl)

7. Josh Allen, Bills, QB — $23.106MM (1x Pro Bowl)

8. Roquan Smith, Bears, LB — $9.735MM (playing time)

9. Mike McGlinchey, 49ers, OT — $10.88MM (playing time)

10. Josh Rosen, Cardinals, QB*

11. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers, S (drafted by Dolphins) — $10.612MM (2x Pro Bowl)

12. Vita Vea, Buccaneers, DT — $7.638MM

13. Daron Payne, Washington, DT — $8.529MM (playing time)

14. Marcus Davenport, Saints, DE — $9.553MM

15. Kolton Miller, Raiders, OT — $10.88MM (playing time)

16. Tremaine Edmunds, Bills, LB — $12.716MM (1x Pro Bowl)

17. Derwin James, Chargers, S — $9.052MM (1x Pro Bowl)

18. Jaire Alexander, Packers, CB — $13.294MM (1x Pro Bowl)

19. Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys, LB — $9.145MM

20. Frank Ragnow, Lions, C — $12.657MM (1x Pro Bowl)

21. Billy Price, Bengals, C — $10.413MM

22. Rashaan Evans, Titans, LB — $9.735MM (playing time)

23. Isaiah Wynn, Patriots, OT — $10.413MM

24. D.J. Moore, Panthers, WR — $11.116MM (playing time)

25. Hayden Hurst, Falcons, TE (Drafted by Ravens) — $5.428MM

26. Calvin Ridley, Falcons, WR — $11.116MM (playing time)

27. Rashaad Penny, Seahawks, RB — $4.523MM

28., Steelers, S Terrell Edmunds — $6.753MM (playing time)

29. Taven Bryan, Jaguars, DT — $7.638MM

30. Mike Hughes, Vikings, CB — $12.643MM

31. Sony Michel, Patriots, RB — $4.523MM

32. Lamar Jackson, Ravens, QB — $23.106MM (1x Pro Bowl)

* Rosen was released from his original contract and, therefore, is not option-eligible 

As a refresher, the fifth-year option year is now fully guaranteed. In the past, it was guaranteed for injury only. The values are also dependent on certain performance metrics:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternate Pro Bowlers) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag.
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag.
  • Players who achieve any of the following will get the average of the 3rd-20th highest salaries at their position:
    • 75%+ snaps in two of their first three seasons
    • 75%+ average across all three seasons
    • 50%+ in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will get the average of the 3rd-25th top salaries at their position.

Browns Release DE Adrian Clayborn

March 9th, 2021 at 2:14pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The cap casualties just keep on rolling in. This time it’s the Browns getting in on the action, with Cleveland announcing they’ve released veteran defensive end Adrian Clayborn.

The team will save about $3MM in cap space for 2021 with the move. The 20th overall pick of the 2011 draft, Clayborn had just spent his first season with the Browns. He signed a two-year, $6MM contract with Cleveland in April of last year. He started two games and appeared in 15 in 2020, racking up 3.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.

Clayborn started his career with the Bucs, then went to Atlanta in 2015. He had his best season with the Falcons in 2017, when he had 9.5 sacks. He went to New England the following year, and won Super Bowl LIII with the team, before returning to Atlanta in 2019.

The Browns obviously have Myles Garrett, but they’ve indicated their looking to upgrade their pass-rush opposite him, most recently showing interest in J.J. Watt. We heard last month they were likely to sign a big name pass-rusher in free agency, and the release of Clayborn is helping clear the way for that.

Clayborn is set to turn 33 in July and hasn’t been overly productive the past few years, but should be able latch on somewhere on a cheap deal with a team in need of edge rushing help.

Latest On Browns’ Receivers

March 7th, 2021 at 5:25pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Browns are coming off their most successful season in decades, but they’ve got very important questions to figure out this offseason. One of the most pressing questions is what’s going to happen in their receivers room.

Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. both have big cap hits for 2021, and there was a report back in November after Beckham tore his ACL that some believed he had played his final down as a Brown. GM Andrew Berry tried to squash that when he recently said Beckham was still very much in the team’s plans moving forward, and head coach Kevin Stefanski echoed that sentiment this week. “I think we can, yeah,” Stefanski said to Keyshawn Johnson on ESPN Radio when asked whether the team can fit Landry and Beckham’s salaries for 2021, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

Interestingly, Kay Cabot writes that Cleveland “would likely listen to offers for Beckham this offseason,” but that “there’s not expected to be much of a market” for him given his contract and the knee injury he’s coming off of. She notes the team could get out of Landry’s deal with only $3MM in dead cap, but doesn’t think they have any plans to cut him.

Stefanski spoke very highly of Beckham’s efforts to get his knee right, saying “he attacks rehab like I’ve never seen people do it.” Thankfully everything seems to be going well with his recovery and he should be all systems go for 2021.

The Browns also have a third key receiver flying more under the radar, Rashard Higgins. Kay Cabot writes that the impending free agent will receive a contract offer whenever the cap is set, but that if he receives an offer in the $6MM annually range that Spotrac.com estimates him at, it’ll likely be “more than the Browns are willing to pay.”

“If he can get that on the open market, he’ll likely be gone,” she writes. Higgins caught 37 passes for 599 yards and four touchdowns last year. As of right now, it looks like Landry and Beckham are strong favorites to be back catching passes from Baker Mayfield next year, although that seemingly could change if a team steps up with trade interest in Beckham. Higgins’ status is more up in the air, and it appears to be trending toward him heading elsewhere.

Browns Will Not Tender Tavierre Thomas

March 5th, 2021 at 7:53pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • The Browns are not planning to use an RFA tender on backup defensive back and key special-teamer Tavierre Thomas, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. With the cap going down, teams may be stingier with their tender offers. Thomas could be brought back at a lower rate than what the low-end tender will cost (roughly $2.1MM), but the fourth-year player may hit the market.

Odell Beckham Jr. Remains In Browns’ Plans

March 3rd, 2021 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Odell Beckham Jr.‘s stock has taken a hit since his 2019 trade to Cleveland, the star wide receiver has shown flashes during his Browns tenure. The Browns would like to see more.

Beckham is recovering from a midseason ACL tear, and GM Andrew Berry indicated the 28-year-old wideout is progressing well on his road back. As of early March, that road is not slated to lead out of Cleveland. The second-year Browns front office boss indicated the Browns are eager to see Beckham back (Twitter link via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot). This comes months after a report indicated the seven-year veteran had quite possibly played his final game as a Brown.

The three-time Pro Bowler has previously heard a team commit to him before trading him. The Giants did so in 2019. They shipped him to the Browns in a package that sent Jabrill Peppers and a first-round pick to New York. Thus far, the Giants have gotten the better end of the trade. Beckham and Baker Mayfield have yet to establish a consistent rapport, and OBJ has encountered injuries in each of his two Cleveland slates.

Beckham was previously mentioned in trade rumors going into the 2020 offseason, but Berry shut those down quickly. Any OBJ deal would certainly not produce the kind of return the Giants received in 2019.

Even though Beckham’s contract can be viewed as a year-to-year pact, with the Giants eating a considerable chunk of dead money to unload it, the deal still calls for Beckham to count more than $15MM against the cap from 2021-23. Beckham’s 2021 cap number sits at $15.75MM. It will be interesting to see if the Browns move to adjust it. The Browns managed to reach the divisional round of the AFC playoffs without Beckham, though he remains one of the NFL’s top receiver talents.

Berry also confirmed the team wants to re-sign Rashard Higgins, who did the most to replace Beckham this past season. It doesn’t sound like a deal will be reached before free agency, however, with Berry indicating Higgins will test the market (Twitter link via Cabot). Beckham and Jarvis Landry‘s cap numbers are set to comprise approximately a sixth of Cleveland’s 2021 cap, leaving seemingly little room for a notable Higgins pact.

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