Browns need to make aggressive play for ‘seriously’ interested J.J. Watt

The Cleveland Browns were always a prime J.J. Watt landing spot but, with the free agent ‘seriously considering’ the team, they need to be aggressive.

J.J. Watt’s release from the Houston Texans immediately spawned numerous thoughts of where in the NFL he could sign. The Pittsburgh Steelers and a reunion with his brothers was one of the favorites but one of the best fits in terms of what he offers was always the Cleveland Browns. And apparently Watt thinks so too.

Now a free agent, Watt is “seriously considering” the Browns as a potential destination, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The report states that Cleveland checks all of the boxes that the soon-to-be 32-year-old is looking for, namely the opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl, a strong supporting cast and the money to give him a fair contract.

Cleveland is coming off of an 11-5 season and a Wild Card Round playoff win over the Steelers. Moreover, they have over $21.5 million in salary cap space, according to Over the Cap, and already have a defensive cornerstone in Myles Garrett. To put it simply, the stars are aligned for Watt to come into the fold.

If Watt’s interest is indeed serious, then the Browns have to be aggressive in getting this deal done. While the uncertain cap does throw a wrench into the situation, everything points to this being a perfect fit both for what the three-time Defensive Player of the Year wants and what Cleveland needs to take a step forward.

J.J. Watt is a piece that could take the Cleveland Browns to the next level.

The one general area where Cleveland has to be focused this offseason is the defensive depth. Issues in the secondary — somewhat due to health — and with depth in the front seven really caused the team problems when they struggled this past year.

With Olivier Vernon and Larry Ogunjobi set to hit free agency this offseason, that need on the defensive line becomes heightened. My expectation would be that they retain Ogunjobi. But that still leaves the need for depth and someone with the inside-out versatility of Watt would fit that mold beautifully.

Though he may not be the 20-sack player he was in his prime, Watt is still one of the better defensive linemen in the league when healthy. He could take snaps on the interior or line up opposite of Garrett on the edge and wreak havoc. It’s a fit that would take Cleveland’s defense up a notch, which is what they need to contend.

As such, the Browns would be doing themselves a disservice to not fully be kicking the tires on J.J. Watt. If he’s interested in a real way, then they should be equally so. He’s a missing piece they need to continue their immense progress.