Can the Browns keep their defensive tackle room intact and re-sign the veteran rotational players, Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst II?
Heading into the 2024 off-season the Browns have 26 players that are currently slated to become free agents. Some of the players set for free agency were major contributors for Cleveland this season while others were disappointments or role players that could re-sign on small deals for 2024.
The Browns rebuilt the defensive line last year including one-year deals for veterans and players who had talent but hadn’t consistently lived up to their potential. General manager Andrew Berry rebuilt the defense last year and making sure that the core is kept intact for 2024 should be one of his priorities.
The team also signed veteran players that they thought would contribute more this year but for some reason or another didn’t work out. While bringing in new talent is always a must in free agency making sure to keep talent can be just as important.
Here are five free agents that the Browns should prioritize re-signing this off-season.
DT Maurice Hurst II
Maurice Hurst II was one of the players the Browns took a chance with as someone who had plenty of talent but a long injury history. Though he eventually ended the year on injured reserve during the 13 games he played he made an impact regularly.
Hurst is a relentless pass rusher with a motor that doesn’t quit and his athleticism for the position jumps off the tape. He was more of a rotational player for passing downs but bringing him back in the same role is an absolute must for Cleveland.
G Michael Dunn
Though he isn’t a starter the value of having a solid and reliable backup interior offensive lineman is high. We have seen it multiple different times over the past couple of seasons where Michael Dunn is asked to come off the bench and he is always ready to answer the call.
He would still be a backup next year but fans saw what happened when the tackle depth was thrown into the fire. Keeping a player like Dunn in case of emergency feels like a no-brainer to me.
P Corey Bojorquez
Though he struggled in the playoff game against the Texans punter Corey Bojorquez was a weapon for Cleveland. His ability to flip the field and win the field position battle helped the Browns win games while the team was figuring things out offensively. He was tied for fifth this year with 34 punts downed inside the 20, only had nine touchbacks, and had a season-long of 73 yards, while having a gross average of 49.32 yards per punt.
LB Sione Takitaki
After tearing his ACL late during the 2022 season it didn’t seem likely that linebacker Sione Takitaki would be ready for the start of the 2023 season. But that wasn’t the case as he absolutely crushed his rehab and was ready to start the season in Cleveland.
You won’t find many players who play the game harder than Takitaki who has grown into a solid mike linebacker. He can be an elite run defender when he is playing at his best and keeping him around is a must.
DT Shelby Harris
What a great late training camp signing veteran defensive tackle Shelby Harris was for the Browns defense. He helped stabilize the massively improved defensive tackle room after how poorly they played in 2022.
He was effective in both the run and passing games and his ability to get his hands up to knock passes down was fun to watch. Harris found a way to produce big plays when they were needed and even blocked a field goal this year.
