Category: 2021 NFL Free Agency

Chiefs bring in much-needed downfield speed with Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Touchdown Wire’s Laurie Fitzpatrick goes to the film to see what skills Marquez Valdez-Scantling brings to the Kansas City Chiefs. Start with the speed.

After trading Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins and altering the entire complexion of their offense, the Chiefs signed former Packers receiver, Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year, $30 million contract The Chiefs knew it would be a tall task to replace Hill, and to be frank, he is irreplaceable. But the Chiefs did the best they could to replace Hill with one of best field stretchers in free agency.

In 2021, injuries limited Valdes-Scantling to only 11 games where he caught 26 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns. Aside from last year, Valdes-Scantling hasn’t missed a single game in his first three years in the NFL. He has a total of 2,153 yards in his career with an average depth of target of 16.3.

Let’s go to the film to see what the Chiefs will get from their new downfield speedster.

Grading every move in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ massive free-agency haul

The Jacksonville Jaguars are spending in free agency at a record rate. Laurie Fitzpatrick has tape and grades on all the signings.

Every year, there is always a team that goes all-in when free agency opens up. Last year, it was the New England Patriots; and this year, it has been the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With one of the highest caps in the NFL and a new coaching staff in town, general manager Trent Baalke, and head coach Doug Pederson decided to splurge. Over these two days, the Jaguars have seven new players on their roster and spent $259.5 million, with $155.25 guaranteed per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco.

Some of the big contracts were a bit questionable but that is nothing new for the Jaguars when they actually decide to go all-in in free agency. They filled some necessary needs on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Let’s go over each player and the grades weighing their contract and potential contribution.

Browns Bye Week Review: 2021 free agent additions

While the team has a late bye week, it is a good time to review the offseason moves. We start with their free-agent additions. Who has met expectations? Failed expectations? We include their PFF grade:

The Cleveland Browns are 6-6 going into their bye week. At a base level, that is all that matters. Outside of that is the fact that the team had high expectations going into the season. Building off a playoff appearance, and a win, with a great offseason seemed to set up for bigger and brighter things.

Instead, the team is 6-6. The expectations don’t change the record nor does the, seemingly, quality offseason the team put together.

Bye weeks are good times for evaluating different aspects of a team in the NFL. Unfortunately for the Browns, their bye week comes very late in the season. While the team is squarely in the playoff hunt in the standings, their very difficult closing schedule and inconsistent play have their playoff odds very low.

Despite all of that, we want to spend a little time looking at the team’s offseason additions and their performances so far. We start with free agency:

Week 10 division and conference games of interest for the Browns

Here is a quick rundown of the games that matter for the Browns this week, besides their own:

The Cleveland Browns face off with the New England Patriots in Week 10 of the NFL season. While the season is just over halfway through, games are quickly starting to mean a lot more to teams. The Browns took care of business in an important Week 9 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals and now face another important task against the Patriots.

While the team’s game will always be the most important game, it isn’t the only game of interest for Cleveland and its fans.

In the muddied waters of the AFC and AFC North, a lot of games matter especially after the Baltimore Ravens were knocked off by the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football.

Here is a quick rundown of the games that matter for the Browns this week, besides their own:

LB Reuben Foster working out for Browns

While the team is working him out tomorrow, Foster’s history is checkered:

While the Cleveland Browns revamped their defense this offseason, it wasn’t enough to stop the Kansas City Chiefs. Then again, it is really hard to stop the Chiefs with the mistakes made by the offense and special teams. Even a near-perfect game could have been good enough to get the victory in Week 1.

With Week 2 looming, the team continues to look for upgrades to the defense. Today that included bringing in a former first-round pick at the linebacker spot. With Anthony Walker and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah joining that position group, many are surprised the team would look to add another player.

In Reuben Foster, the Browns worked out a talented player but far from just “another player.” First, the initial report on the Foster workout:

 

Second, it is important to note what has led Foster to be out of the NFL for some time. Foster has had numerous legal issues including two charges of domestic violence (later dismissed) and charges related to a weapon and marijuana possession. The NFL suspended him for two games under the substance abuse policy.

Foster was waived by the San Fransisco 49ers in 2018 but claimed by the Washington Football Team. The linebacker then tore his ACL, among other injuries, for Washington in 2019.

Third, since being drafted in 2017, Foster has only played in 16 games, ten as a rookie and then six before being waived in 2018. He compiled 101 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits and two pass deflections during that time.

After the success of Malik McDowell, who had a similarly troubled past and injury concerns, and extending the contract of Kareem Hunt, general manager Andrew Berry has shown a willingness to take low-cost risks if he feels the player has changed his ways.

Foster has mostly stayed out of the spotlight over the past few years but started working out for NFL teams recently. It is possible that Cleveland looks to sign him after the workout or could wait until after Week 2 concludes, if interested, while Foster could continue his workout rounds around the league.

Browns rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah noted as team’s best offseason move

The Browns made a ton of moves this offseason but one analyst says that the drafting of JOK was their best move:

The Cleveland Browns have made a lot of moves this offseason to improve a roster that went 11 – 5 last season, beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs and almost beat the Kansas City Chiefs to make it to the AFC Championship Game.

The 2021 offseason included some big-name additions including John Johnson III and Jadeveon Clowney. The team did lose some depth pieces (Terrance Mitchell, Kendall Lamm) and special teams players (Tavierre Thomas, Tae Davis) in the midst of the turnover as well.

The team also reached a contract extension with Nick Chubb to keep him tied to the team for another three seasons.

In the first round of the NFL draft, held in Cleveland, the Browns added Greg Newsome II to help combat the high-flying offenses in the AFC.

None of those were noted as the team’s best offseason move by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski:

Last season, the Browns featured the league’s least-talented linebacker corps. Owusu-Koramoah brings a completely different dynamic with his sideline-to-sideline speed, comfort in coverage and ability to play numerous positions.

Important to note that while Sobleski covers the NFL nationally and is a great draft analyst, he spent years covering the Browns and knows the team well.

His notes on Owusu-Koramoah are interesting. The new Browns linebacker brings something to the team that it lacks with his versatility and speed.

While Johnson and Clowney may be better in 2021, Owusu-Koramoah brings a uniqueness to the team making him Sobleski’s best offseason move of 2021.

Browns sign free agent LB Tegray Scales

Scales has experience on special teams with the Steelers in 2020

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The Cleveland Browns added a healthy body to the battered linebacking corps on Wednesday. The team signed free agent LB Tegray Scales to the roster.

Scales comes to Cleveland hoping to stick on a roster. He’s bounced around the NFL since entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Indiana in the 2018 NFL draft. He saw his only regular season action with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020, playing almost exclusively on special teams in four games.

In college, Scales was an inside backer with good tackling power and quick play recognition. He stood out in Shrine Bowl practices following his senior season with the Hoosiers. He also had a stint in the XFL.

Scales takes the roster spot of CB Robert Jackson, who was waived on Tuesday.

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Browns claim TE Kyle Markway off waivers from the Rams

Markway spent most of the 2020 season on the Browns’ practice squad

The Cleveland Browns have added an old friend back to the tight end room. Per his agent, Brett Tessler, the Browns have claimed TE Kyle Markway off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams.

Markway spent most of the 2020 season on the Browns practice squad, so he knows the Kevin Stefanski offense and the culture of the team well. He signed a reserve/futures contract with Cleveland after the season but was waived following the draft. He did not last long with the Rams, who waived the South Carolina product on Tuesday.

Markway provides some competition for the No. 4 TE spot with Jordan Franks, behind Austin Hooper, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant.

Update: The Browns waived DE Romeo McKnight to make room for Markway. 

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Browns try out 7 players including two quarterbacks

The Browns welcomed 7 free agents in for tryouts including a pair of former Ole Miss QBs

The Cleveland Browns welcomed seven NFL free agents to try out for the team on Monday. It’s an interesting mix of players that includes a pair of quarterbacks.

The quarterbacks who tried out are both from Ole Miss, Jordan Ta’amu and Chad Kelly. They couldn’t be more divergent stylistically, however. Kelly is a strong-armed pocket passer and Ta’amu is a smaller, mobile, rhythm type of QB.

Among the others, former Texans linebacker Dylan Cole stands out. Cole thrived on special teams in Houston and had some decent work at inside LB for the Texans before injuries slowed his career. Wideout Darvin Kidsy is a speedster who has spent time with the Football Team.

The full septet who tried out, per the NFL’s transaction wire:

  • Dylan Cole, LB
  • Jonathon Johnson, WR
  • Chad Kelly, QB
  • Darvin Kidsy, WR
  • T.J. Morrison, CB
  • Jordan Ta’amu, QB
  • Kerrith Whyte, RB

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Malik McDowell leaves scrimmage early, walks off with trainers

Orange and Brown Scrimmage gave some things for fans to be excited about but lost McDowell to an oblique injury during the practice.

The Cleveland Browns had their Orange and Brown Scrimmage today with a chance for a lot of fans to see them on First Energy Field. Injuries will continue to be a daily story, whether there are any or not.

One interesting player on the team’s roster is defensive lineman Malik McDowell. McDowell is an interesting story after being drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft but having never seen a snap in the NFL.

Due to off-the-field issues and medical concerns, McDowell’s career seemed to have hit its end when the Seattle Seahawks released him prior to the 2019 season.

The Browns brought him in this offseason in somewhat of a shocking move. Reports are that things had turned around and that the Browns had done extensive background work before bringing him in.

Early in today’s scrimmage, McDowell left with the trainers:

 

Following practice, head coach Kevin Stefanski noted that McDowell left the game with an oblique injury:

 

With Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi gone this offseason, the interior of the defensive line has a lot of snaps available. Malik Jackson was brought in via free agency, Andrew Billings returns from the COVID opt-out list and Jordan Elliott comes into his second season after a disappointing opening campaign.

Tommy Togiai was drafted and Marvin Wilson was a highly sought after undrafted free agent to add two rookies to the competition along with veterans Damon Square and Sheldon Day also fighting for roster spots.

Depending on how long the injury impacts McDowell, he could be too far behind when he returns. Given his multiple years out of the game, the former second-rounder needs all the snaps he can get.

We will keep you up to date on all injury updates here on Browns Wire.