5 cheap depth pieces the Browns should bring back in free agency

Cheap depth is a great thing.

Madness has already begun to ensue as the New Orleans Saints are getting the free agency party started by signing quarterback Derek Carr to a four-year deal. The Cleveland Browns will have cap space to throw around once quarterback Deshaun Watson restructures his contract, but they need to hit on depth pieces as well as a big name or two. Anthony Walker Jr. is a favorite in the locker room, and a player in a position of need as the Browns look to transition their defense into the hands of new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Outside of Walker Jr., however, who are some other in-house free agents the Browns could look to bring back on a budget?

The Browns cut special teamer and linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk

The special team ace has been released ahead of free agency.

The legal tampering period is less than 30 days away and the Cleveland Browns decided to release linebacker and special teamer Jordan Kunaszyk ahead of free agency. Kunaszyk was primarily a special teamer and graded well with PFF in that category. Once the linebacker unit was decimated by injury he was thrown into a couple of starts but wasn’t productive and struggled at the second level of the defense

It seemed like the team might want to keep him because of special teams but as we saw Tuesday they decided that might not be enough. It will be interesting to see if they consider bringing him back for camp or the practice squad later in the offseason.

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Did linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk show enough to earn a new contract?

The young linebacker showed some ability in 2022.

The Cleveland Browns had a lot of injuries at the linebacker position in 2022 leading to several different players seeing time. Jordan Kunaszyk saw action from the beginning of the season as a special teamer and had a good season on specials. He saw 316 special teams snaps this year and PFF gave him a 90.1 special teams grade this season.

In his four seasons in the NFL, he has provided good special teams snaps and for that reason, he should return to Cleveland. Overall Special Teams wasn’t impressive in 2022 and losing one of their best players on that side of the ball won’t make it any better.

He has obvious limitations as a linebacker but retaining the special teams talent and adding more should be a priority this offseason.

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Browns make handful of moves on the eve of their matchup with Commanders

The Browns have made a handful of roster moves.

The Cleveland Browns lost on Christmas Eve to the New Orleans Saints, but are hoping their holiday luck turns around on New Year’s Day against the Washington Commanders. On paper, the Browns seem to have an advantage, but that has not gone in their favor much this season. Can the Browns find a way to stack two wins to end the season?

On the Eve of their matchup, however, the Browns have made three roster moves before they take the field in the nation’s capital. Here are the three moves the Browns have made as they prepare to take on the Commanders in D.C. on New Year’s Day.

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Browns missing six starters from practice with Saints three days away

The Browns are still without a handful of starters.

The Cleveland Browns are seeking their fourth win in five weeks as they get set to take on Jarvis Landry and the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately for the Browns, they are missing a plethora of starting players from practice with just two days until kickoff. Overall, six players missed practice for the Browns yesterday, all of them are starters as well.

All-in-all, ten players were either limited in practice or did not go at all for the Browns. As Wednesday’s injury report dropped, who appeared on that list for the Browns with just two days until gameday in Cleveland?

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7 miss practice Tuesday as Christmas Eve matchup with Saints approaches

Seven missed Tuesday’s practice as the Saints approach.

The Cleveland Browns are potentially getting a massive boost as center Ethan Pocic has been designated for return from Injured Reserve after his four weeks off. As the New Orleans Saints are next up on the menu, however, the Browns were missing seven players from practice on Tuesday as they work through injuries.

While some were scheduled days of rest, the Browns were missing a handful of key contributors, including running back Nick Chubb, who is battling through a foot injury. Here we take a look at every member of the team who appeared on Tuesday’s injury report and their status.

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Browns snap count observations vs. Ravens: Deion Jones and Jordan Kunaszyk get auditions before free agency

We get snap counts after every game, so what stood from this game against the Ravens?

The Cleveland Browns got to watch football all day on Sunday without any anxiety after defeating the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday evening. Despite gobs of injuries, the Browns found success in all three phases of the game and found a way to advance to 6-8 on the season.

Like we do every week, we take a look at the snap count numbers to see what stands out.

As always, thanks to our friends over at The OBR for providing excellent visuals to accompany the snap count numbers. As the Browns get ready to take on the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Eve, what stood out from Saturday’s snap count numbers, and what may translate over the next three games?

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Browns PFF grades: Who were top 10 defensive performers vs. Ravens?

Who graded out as the top ten defensive players for the Browns in their win over the Ravens?

The Cleveland Browns got contributions from both their offense and defense in their 13-3 win over the Baltimore Ravens. We have already looked at the Browns PFF grades for the offense, and now we take a look at the defensive players who graded out the highest in this victory according to PFF.

They created two turnovers and came up with a fourth down stop in the redzone against the Ravens yesterday, playing complimentary football. With three games left to play, can defensive coordinator Joe Woods save his job?

Who were the top 10 performers for the Browns in this one according to their PFF grades?

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Browns sign LB Jordan Kunaszyk and DE Isaac Rochell to active roster

After putting two on IR yesterday, the Cleveland Browns have signed Isaac Rochell and Jordan Kunaszyk to their active roster.

After the Cleveland Browns were forced to place defensive end Chase Winovich and tight end Jesse James on Injured Reserve yesterday, they opened up two roster spots on their active roster. Today they have filled those two spots by signing linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk and edge rusher Isaac Rochell of of the Practice Squad.

Both Kunaszyk and Rochell made the initial 53-man roster before being cut due to some late additions to the roster that included the signing of James and the claiming of quarterback Kellen Mond. With Jadeveon Clowney already announced as out, and with Myles Garrett potentially missing the game as well, Rochell may even be in line for the start tomorrow night when the Browns take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Browns elevate linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk, defensive tackle Roderick Perry II from practice squad

Both players will seek to play their first snaps on the #Browns defense in Week 2.

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With a matchup against the New York Jets just a day away, the Cleveland Browns have elevated two players from their practice squad. Linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk and defensive tackle Roderick Perry are now eligible to play in Sunday’s game and may be called on to make some plays if the team decides to activate them.

Cleveland announced the move on Twitter:

Both players are set to play their first defensive snaps with the Browns if they see action against the Jets, though Kunaszyk is likely to see the field exclusively on special teams. The linebacker was involved in 22 of Cleveland’s special teams snaps last week, good for 69 percent of the team’s total opportunities in that phase.

Perry, on the other hand, is a rookie seeking to play the first snaps of his NFL career. His elevation comes on the heels of a disciplinary incident by the Browns related to rookie defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey, who was absent from practice on Friday. It is unknown if the team plans to use Perry as a direct replacement for Winfrey, but the move certainly opens up that possibility.

The Browns’ showdown against the Jets is set to be a slugfest, as both teams look to show their fans they’re ready to compete this season. Both franchises have something to prove in the Week 2 scrap and are likely to bring innovative gameplans into the matchup as they seek to hone their skills before they get into the meat of their schedule.

Cleveland’s decision to elevate Kunaszyk and Perry won’t prove to be the most consequential move they make in the month of September but has significant implications for each player. Both prospects are being given the chance to show that they have what it takes to make it on an NFL defense, and with some luck, could do enough to maintain their status on the 53-man roster.