NFL Free Agency overspend candidate No. 3: Cleveland Browns
Will the Cleveland Browns be able to satiate their rabid fan base, fix their weak spots on both sides of the ball, and give QB Baker Mayfield a fair shake in what could be his final season as the signal-caller in The Land?
Mayfield has endured a massive amount of criticism and has given the team mixed results. Will the team do right by him and get him the help he needs to compete and be successful next season?
The former Heisman Trophy winner is playing without a contract extension and could be one of the hottest free agent quarterbacks in years if he has a great bounce-back season in 2022.
It starts with keeping Mayfield on his feet and injury-free. To do that, the Browns need to bolster their offensive line. Last season, Mayfield endured six games in which he was sacked three or more times last week, including an eye-popping nine times against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If the Browns miss out on top-tier offensive linemen in free agency, they may have to overspend to get someone like Brandon Scherff, Eric Fisher, or Trent Brown, which all come with their fair share of red flags.
It’s a talented pool of linemen, but these players, in particular, will probably expect to be paid like top-tier linemen. However, it may not be worth it, given their injury history.
The Browns have already placed the franchise tag on top free agent David Njoku. There’s talk that they could be negotiating a long-term extension to make him one of the top-five highest-paid tight ends in the NFL, according to the NFL Network.
That would be paying quite a bit based on potential. 2021 was the first time Njoku played 16 games in a season since 2018. He recorded 36 catches for 475 yards and 4 TDs in 2021— placing him right in the middle of the league’s tight ends, statistically speaking.