Gleveland Browns Have Singed a Key Player Just Because……
“Smith was traded from the Minnesota Vikings to the Cleveland Browns this past offseason and revised his contract, converting it into a one-year pact for $11.677 million, a price tag he vastly outplayed once again. Smith has the size and explosiveness to rush from the A-gaps out to a two-point stance as a stand-up outside linebacker, and he has earned pass-rush grades above 80.0 in his past four full seasons. Justin Houston’s two-year, $23 million contract with $18.5 million in total guarantees signed in 2019 with the Indianapolis Colts is another strong comparable deal here.”
Smith took awhile to get going with his sack production ending the year with 5.5 and one forced fumble. PFF credited him with 61 total pressures, however, and the second-best pass rush grade of his career at 86.8. The Browns do need another solid edge opposite Myles Garrett, and if Smith is willing to come back, perhaps another year in a Schwartz scheme could lead to more sacks for both — Garrett had 14 after finishing each of the last two seasons with 16.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — One of the key stories of the 2023 season for the Cleveland Browns was their top-ranked defense. Under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, The Browns led the NFL in the regular giving up an average of 270.2 yards per game and also finished with the No. 1 pass defense (164.7 yards per game). The Browns were also the best third-down team, allowing opponents to convert on just 29.1% of their attempts. They allowed the fewest first downs per game in the league at 14.9. The defense’s production was a big reason Cleveland was able to overcome their league-worst 37 turnovers en route to a playoff appearance and 11-6 record.
While the Browns had plenty of success, the nature of the NFL is shifting rosters. “One of the things that you realize is the NFL, the only constant is change,” GM Andrew Berry said at his season-ending press conference last week. “When I met with you guys after 2020, I mentioned that even for the top teams or teams that have a lot of their guys under contract, there’s typically on average a third of your team turns over and that’s regardless of your record.” Pro Football Focus put out their list of the top 150 impending free agents across the league. Here are the Browns guys who made the cut, and unsurprisingly each player was from their top-ranked defense:
