The Cleveland Browns should consider mining for value in 2017 free agency and looking into signing cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman.
The Cleveland Browns opened 2017 NFL free agency with a bang. They reforged their offensive line by adding both center J.C. Tretter and Guard Kevin Zeitler. Then, the Browns replaced experimental receiver Terrelle Pryor with veteran wideout Kenny Britt.
Cleveland then picked itself up a 2018 second-round pick by trading for quarterback Brock Osweiler. While Osweiler is not expected to be part of the Browns’ future, that pick could turn into a future starter if the team can draft wisely. The Browns also re-signed some of their own players, like guard Joel Bitonio and long snapper Charley Hughlett.
This made for a surprisingly strong entry into free agency for the Browns, but they’ve been relatively quiet since.
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Now, the Browns obviously want to build through the draft—this should be evident by the number of picks they’ve accumulated over the past year. Throwing money at free agents isn’t likely to be a regular part of the team-building process. Yet, as we enter the third week of free agency, there are quality additions still to be had.
Because this second wave of free agency doesn’t usually include the truckloads of cash that the first wave does, these free agents can be extremely valuable. One potential value player Cleveland should really consider is former Buffalo Bills cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman. Robey-Coleman is a bit undersized at just 5-8 and 165 pounds, but he is a quality slot corner. Pro Football Focus rated him 43rd overall among all cornerbacks last season.
Ray Aspuria of Yahoo Sports recently wrote the following of Robey-Coleman in a free-agent profile:
"Robey-Coleman endured an up-and-down four-year tenure in Buffalo. However, he found a home as a slot corner. Coupled with discovering a role, Robey-Coleman uses speed and agility to shadow the league’s wiggly wide receivers in the slot. The safe assumption is that he’ll find better coaching. Surprisingly, the Bills lined Robey-Coleman up against much larger tight ends. In that case, he struggled versus awful schemes.… In terms of both play and health, Robey-Coleman can provide some stability at the position. He has yet to miss a game in his four years in the league."
Perhaps the best part about Robey-Coleman is that he’s an ascending talent and is just 25 years old. He is exactly the type of free agent the Browns should be targeting for their rebuilding plan.
Robey-Coleman would provide a strong pass-coverage presence alongside the likes of Joe Haden, Jamar Taylor and Briean Boddy-Calhoun. He’s young enough to be a around for the entirety of Cleveland’s rebuild, and he shouldn’t command the massive contract dollars of an opening-week free agent.
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This doesn’t mean Robey-Coleman will come at a bargain-basement price—he’s a quality commodity and Cleveland may have to overpay to get him. However, he is definitely a guy the Browns should strongly consider at this stage of free agency.