Browns Free Agent Proposal Adds Former 1st-Round Pick to D-Line

The Cleveland Browns have spent the offseason making moves for the future, but the answer to what they need most in the present might reside in their recent past.

There are two positions on the roster breeding the most doubt in Cleveland. On offense, it is wide receiver. On defense, it is defensive tackle.

The Browns seem to believe the WR room is set, at least for now, as the unofficial depth chart for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers was released on Tuesday, September 6. It slots Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones in as the two starters. Rookie David Bell and the much-maligned Anthony Schwartz, who has struggled with drop issues this preseason, are listed as the backups.

Defensive tackle, however, is less certain. Browns insiders believe the team has been actively looking to bolster the interior of its front seven for months, though why the organization has yet to make a definitive play to add depth there remains unclear.

With the start of the regular season now just five days away, a handful of free agent options remain available. That includes a potential reunion with former DT Sheldon Richardson, who started at the position in Cleveland for two years before joining the Minnesota Vikings last season.

---

Richardson Enhances Browns’ Pass Rush Duo of Garrett, Clowney

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggested on Tuesday that of all the free agents remaining at all positions, the best match for Cleveland and its needs is Richardson.

His argument includes the notion that teaming Richardson up with All Pro Myles Garrett and fellow pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney could turn the defensive line into one of the Browns’ prominent strengths rather than a question mark due to a lack of interior depth.

Of the four defensive tackles on the active roster, only Taven Bryan — a 2018 first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars — has more than two years of experience. Jordan Elliott and Tommy Togiai have played a combined 38 games. Perrion Winfrey is a fourth-round rookie.

It would behoove the Browns to add a veteran to the mix, and it would make a ton of sense to bring back Sheldon Richardson. … The Browns lead the league in cap space, have a need at DT and have a potentially excellent fit available in Richardson. This is a pairing that should be made immediately.

Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com suggested a reunion with Richardson as far back as mid-July, when training camp was just about to get underway.

“[Richardson] is good in the locker room and would be a strong mentor for a young player like fourth-round pick Perrion Winfrey,” Cabot wrote on July 19. “He also has a knack for keeping Myles Garrett motivated.”

---

Richardson Has Started For Browns, 3 Other NFL Defenses

Richardson will enter his 10th professional season this month. However, the one-time Pro Bowler has been a productive starter at every stop along the way.

The New York Jets selected Richardson in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and he earned his Pro-Bowl honors the following year. He had a brief stop over with the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 before playing in Cleveland the following two seasons.

Richardson spent last year with the Vikings, starting fewer than 11 games for the first time in his career (seven starts). The tackle put up 39 tackles, including six for loss, 13 QB hits, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 17 appearances, per Pro Football Reference.

0 Comments