The Browns have been busy, but the work never stops.
The work so far, though, has been substantial.
Cleveland added six players via free agency, a group that includes five on the defensive side of the ball. S John Johnson III leads the way for a quintet that conceivably hits every position — defensive end (Takkarist McKinley), defensive tackle (Malik Jackson), linebacker (Anthony Walker), cornerback (Troy Hill) and safety (Johnson). The Browns also added T Greg Senat and retained five of their own free agents — WR Rashard Higgins, LB Malcolm Smith, WR JoJo Natson, K Cody Parkey and LB Elijah Lee.
They're among the hundreds of players around the league who have solidified their status for the 2021 season. Still, a number of talented players remain on the market, and you can bank on many of them making an impact somewhere this season. (A reminder: Higgins didn't re-sign with the Browns until early May last year).
Here's the lay of the land one week into the new league year. We're breaking it down position by position and highlighting some of the most notable names.
WR/TEs
Sammy Watkins, Chiefs - Watkins hasn't been as big of a producer as he was in his first three seasons with the Bills and has missed at least six games in three of the last five years.
Antonio Brown, Buccaneers - He built a strong connection with Tom Brady but doesn't appear to have the same elite skills from his days with the Steelers.
Cordarrelle Patterson, Bears - His talents always shine brightest in the return game and can be used both at running back and receiver.
Golden Tate, Giants - With New York adding Kenny Golladay on a big deal, Tate is almost certainly headed elsewhere for 2021.
Other notable WRs: Adam Humphries, Marquise Goodwin, Willie Snead, Danny Amendola, Alex Erickson
Notable TEs: Jesse James, Tyler Eifert, Darren Fells, Virgil Green, Nick Vannett, MyCole Pruitt
O-Line
Mitchell Schwartz, Chiefs - The former Browns RT was recently released after missing most of 2020 with a back injury.
Eric Fisher, Chiefs - He locked down left tackle for the Chiefs since 2013 but had his 2020 season come to an unfortunate end with an Achilles tear in the AFC Championship.
Austin Reiter, Chiefs - The former Browns C started the past two seasons for the AFC champs.
Alejandro Villanueva, Steelers - The longtime Browns opponent is a free agent after spending the past six seasons in Pittsburgh.
Other notables: Russell Okung, Trai Turner, Zach Fulton, Dennis Kelly, Bobby Hart
D-Line/LBs
DE Jadeveon Clowney, Titans - He failed to record a sack in 2020, but he's still 28 and capable of being a game-wrecker in the second half of his career
DE Justin Houston, Colts - Still possesses plenty of talent at 32 years old and showed no signs of stoppage in an eight-sack season in 2020.
DE Carlos Dunlap, Seahawks - Still has plenty left in the tank at age 32 and provided a big boost to the Seahawks defense after a midseason trade from the Bengals.
DE Melvin Ingram, Chargers - He's been one of the best defenders on the Chargers for the last nine years, but he's missed 12 games over the last two seasons and is 32 years old.
LB B.J. Goodson, Browns - In his one season in Cleveland, Goodson led the Browns in tackles and established himself as a leader on defense.
Other notable D-Linemen: Olivier Vernon, Ryan Kerrigan, Tyrone Crawford, Everson Griffin, Geno Atkins, Kawaan Short, Danny Shelton
Notable LBs: Kwon Alexander, Avery Williamson, K.J. Wright, Vince Williams, Kyler Fackrell
DBs
CB Malcolm Butler, Titans - The former Super Bowl hero was released by the Titans earlier this month.
CB Richard Sherman, 49ers - The five-time Pro Bowler is entering his 11th season.
S Xavier Woods, Cowboys - The former sixth-round pick has been a mainstay in the back end of Dallas' defense for the past three seasons.
CB Quinton Dunbar, Seahawks - He appeared in just six games last season and missed the entire second half of the year because of a knee injury.
Other notables: Casey Hayward, Malik Hooker, A.J. Bouye, Steven Nelson, Buster Skrine
