Browns' Free Agent Update: Day 5

Apparently, Willie McGinest didn’t need to fool around and leave Cleveland to visit with other teams. As predicted, McGinest cut a 3 year 12 million dollar deal with the Browns to help shape the 3-4 defense and try to give the Browns a few seasons of veteran leadership at the OLB position, and more importantly, provide a bit of a pass rush for the worst team in the league in sacks (26 in 2005). This came off the heels of losing out on younger Kalimba Edwards.

McGinest is the second plan B Free Agent to join the Browns on defense, joining former Patriot teammate Ted Washington. Washington (38) is 3 days older than dirt, and McGinest (34) is getting up there. From a realistic viewpoint, there’s a chance that neither player could produce on the field like the Browns are hoping for. However, their experience with Romeo Crennel's defensive scheme, and their experience may allow the Browns to benefit from having them around greatly, even if they aren’t quite playing up to snuff.

As I have discussed already, the acquisitions of McGinest and Washington may help define what the Browns need in the draft. Drafting a talented player to learn behind either of these guys may help the young guys become even better players than they are projected to be. Having professional former-Pro Bowlers to learn from is a lot easier than trying to learn from an average veteran, or playing right from the get-go. These men have won championships, and have had extremely successful careers. They know how to prepare, and how to help their teams win. These types of players on a team are precious.

Moving back to Offense, the Browns went and signed ANOTHER local guy, and continued to upgrade a unit that was constantly neglected from 1999-2004. Yes, the Browns signed another Offensive Lineman. This time, it’s scrappy veteran Bob Hallen, who came out of Mentor, Ohio, and played college ball at Kent State. Hallen played his first 4 years with the Atlanta Falcons and logged a lot of starts during his stay there, and he spent his last 4 seasons with the San Diego Chargers as a key reserve player.

Hallen is a Guard, so more interior depth has been achieved on the Offensive Line. Rumors are flying now that Center Jeff Faine could be released or traded. I’m all for keeping him around if he can handle being a backup. His cap number is low, and we need to figure out if we’re going to draft another Center before we run him out of town so quick. He’s a talented player. He may not be a great starter, but he works hard and he busts his ass out there.

How nice it is to have a problem like Jeff Faine not having a starting spot. Since the Browns have returned to the league, they’ve had minimal depth across the Offensive Line, and when one of our decent starters would go down to injury (something that happens frequently on this team), we were plugging in undrafted or low round project players that couldn’t handle their job and it killed our QBs and our RBs.

Including K Jeff Chandler, which I have failed to mention until now, the Browns have now spent a good chunk of their cap space on 8 Free Agent additions. The Browns may be nearing their ending point in Free Agency as the only other players that have visited (that haven’t signed yet) have been WR Tim Carter (Giants) and TE Darnell Dinkins (Ravens). We’ll see what happens…