Now that the Super Bowl has been played and free agency begins tomorrow, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will complete our top three needs series. Today, the Cleveland Browns are the focus. The Browns have the 12th and 19th selections in the first round and they possess a ridiculous amount of cap space heading into free agency.
Cleveland Browns 2015 Offseason: Top 3 Needs
Wide Receiver
Josh Gordon has been suspended for the entire season already and he was basically the only receiving threat the Browns had left. Andrew Hawkins is a solid third option at receiver, but he is probably the best receiver they have on the roster right now. Clearly, a complete overhaul at this position is needed.
In order to fix this mess, the Browns must target at least one receiver in both free agency and the draft. They have two first-round picks and they must spend one of them on a talented receiver. The wide receiver class in the draft is very good again this year so that shouldn’t be a problem. However, the free agent market is not very strong at receiver, as most of the talented receivers were already re-signed or franchise tagged by their teams. Nevertheless, a veteran receiver must be added in free agency and perhaps the Browns will take a chance on Percy Harvin or Michael Crabtree.
Quarterback
Without a quarterback, the Browns will never be a contending team. Their fans know that very well by now. They added Josh McCown in free agency, but he isn’t the long-term solution by any means. Johnny Manziel was drafted in the first round last year, but the organization clearly has no faith in him. Brian Hoyer is going to walk in free agency, but he wasn’t the long-term solution anyway.
Unfortunately for the Browns, the quarterback class is very weak this year. Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are the only legitimate franchise quarterbacks worthy of first-round picks and they will almost definitely be taken before the Browns pick. Cleveland has the ammunition to trade up to get Mariota, but they might not even see him as a fit in their offensive scheme. They will attempt to get through this year with McCown apparently despite witnessing his play in Tampa Bay last year. Maybe they are hoping his presence will lead them to the worst record in the NFL so they can finally draft a franchise quarterback.
Nose Tackle
The Browns desperately need a run-stuffing nose tackle to bolster the middle of their defensive line. Phil Taylor was injured for most of the 2014 season because of a serious knee injury and the Browns can’t count on him to make much of a contribution this year.
The best way to solve this problem is to draft a dominant nose tackle. As I mentioned in my first mock draft of the year, Danny Shelton is a great option for the Browns in the first round if he is still available at the 12th pick. He fits the mold of a run-stuffing nose tackle perfectly and he has the ability to make a big impact on Cleveland’s run defense.
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