Getty Images Head Coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns hold the aspirations of a contender heading into next season but if they want a contending roster, the team must address its defensive line.
Cleveland surrendered 4.7 yards per carry to opposing running backs in 2022 (25th in the NFL), a number that if maintained over a duration of several years would go a long way toward putting all of those backs into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A primary reason for the Browns’ inability to stop the run was a lack of performance in the trenches, particularly at the defensive tackle position.
A handful of quality defensive tackles are available via free agency beginning March 15, including Javon Hargrave of the Philadelphia Eagles, Dre’Mont Jones of the Denver Broncos and potentially Dalvin Tomlinson of the Minnesota Vikings.
It is the last of the three who Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report on Wednesday, March 8, deemed a “dream signing” for Cleveland this offseason.
New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz likes to play an attacking style up front and depends on having a good defensive line. That means the Browns need to pony up and spend draft capital and money to beef up the defensive tackle group.
Dalvin Tomlinson’s run-defense grade since 2017 is among the top 16 defensive tackles in the league, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). Inserting Tomlinson on this defensive line immediately upgrades the run defense. The fact that he can chip in a few sacks a year is an added bonus.
Taven Bryan and Jordan Elliott served as the Browns’ primary contributors at defensive tackle last season. Elliott was among the worst in the league on the interior, finishing the year with an overall grade of 40.4, which ranked him 117th out of 126 players who qualified at the position, per PFF. Bryan wasn’t a whole lot better, ending the season with a positional grade of 60.0.
Dalvin Tomlinson Could Re-Sign With Vikings Ahead of Free Agency
Getty ImagesDefensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson of the Minnesota Vikings will be a top free agent at his position come March 15 if he doesn’t work out a deal to return to Minneapolis before then.
The biggest hiccup in the Browns’ pursuit of Tomlinson is his clear willingness to work with the Vikings on a new deal.
Tomlinson’s contract was scheduled to void on February 20 until the defensive tackle agreed to push the void date back to March 15, per a report from ESPN’s Field Yates, which is the official start of free agency and the new NFL season.
The move allowed for an extra three weeks, and then some, for the two sides to agree on a deal to bring Tomlinson back to the purple and gold. He signed a two-year deal worth $21 million in total to join the Vikings in 2021.
Tomlinson has played in and started 29 of a possible 34 regular season games in Minnesota over that time. Beyond his performance as one of the elite run-stoppers in the league, Tomlinson has also amassed 81 tackles, 28 quarterback pressures, five sacks and a forced fumble during his Vikings tenure, per Pro Football Reference.
Browns Linked to Eagles DT Javon Hargrave in Free Agency
GettyDefensive tackle Javon Hargrave of the Philadelphia Eagles sacks quarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears during a game at Soldier Field on December 18, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
If Tomlinson agrees to a new deal with the Vikings, the Browns will be forced to look elsewhere on the free agent market for help.
Cleveland has been linked to Hargrave, per a March 8 report from Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. However, Hargrave is more of a pass rusher than a run-stopper. That’s not to say the Browns couldn’t use a bit more of the former, though they will likely look to supplement All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett in whatever attempt the team makes to replace the likely departing defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
The Browns are in more desperate need of help against the run, at least up the middle of the defense, which arguably makes Tomlinson a better natural fit. Furthermore, Hargrave has a projected market value of $20.1 million annually over three years, per Spotrac, while the website projects Tomlinson’s market value at $8.5 million per season over the same duration.
Cleveland is currently $14 million over the salary cap with just six days until free agency begins.