The Cleveland Browns are in a very interesting position in the 2023 NFL offseason. While they have some great players like Myles Garrett, they have merely been mediocre for the past two seasons after their surprise playoff run in 2020. This offseason, the situation gets a bit more precarious.
Last season, Cleveland made the extremely controversial decision to bring in former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. At the same time, they also signed him to a massive, fully-guaranteed contract extension. The cap hit was low in 2022 to brace for Watson's suspension, but jumps up to nearly $55 million in 2023.
With this massive contraction in the books, it's no surprise that the Browns are about $13.5 million over the cap. Fortunately, they don't have many key free agents of their own to re-sign, but the lack of cap space does limit the free agents they can bring in. Obviously, that's not a great spot for a team with serious roster holes to be in.
However, the Browns have proved in recent years that they aren't afraid to be aggressive in the offseason. Cleveland could get under the cap pretty easily, primarily by restructuring Watson's contract. If the Browns can make that space, then it wouldn't be a surprise to see them bring in a big free agent or two.
In that scenario, Cleveland should look to bolster its defensive line. Besides Garrett, the Browns don't have much on the line, especially on the interior of said line. Fortunately, there are a lot of great defensive tackles to pick from in free agency, but one would be a fantastic pairing for Cleveland.
Without further ado, let's meet that player and explain why he's such a great match.
The Browns must sign defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones in free agency
As previously mentioned, Cleveland's defensive line is basically Garrett and everyone else. For reference, the former first-overall pick had 16 sacks in 2022, while the next-closest Brown had just three. In fact, he had nearly half of the Browns' 34 team sacks all season. As great as Garrett is, he can't be the only one producing in the pass rush.
If the Browns were to improve the defensive line, they should focus on defensive tackle first and foremost. Their starting defensive tackles in 2022 were Taven Bryan and Jordan Elliott, who combined for just five sacks and seven TFLs. Bryan is also a pending free agent, which only further damages an already weak group even further.
To become a playoff team next season, Cleveland has to get a capable player in the middle of the line. That player doesn't have to be a superstar, just be productive enough to take some pressure off of Garrett. The one player who could excel in this role would be current Denver Broncos defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones.
Jones has quietly developed into a very solid defensive lineman in Denver, with 18.5 sacks in the last three seasons. In 2022, he tied his career-high with 6.5 sacks, before unfortunately missing the final four games with injury. Despite the injury, he still has the chance to cash in on the open market this offseason.
While Jones may not seem as appealing as the likes of Javon Hargrave or Daron Payne, there are some factors in his favor. First, he's still young at only 26, four years younger than Hargrave but a year older than Payne. Second, he should come at a more affordable price than either of the other top defensive tackles, which is very useful for a cap-strapped team like the Browns.
If Jones can just continue what he did in Denver, he should be a great addition to Cleveland. Should the Browns create the money, Jones should be on the top of their free agency wishlist.
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