NFL free agency starts today and everyone in the league is predicting the Cleveland Browns to be very active. The decisions the Browns and Phil Savage make this year will affect the direction of the franchise for at least the next 5 years. The amount of money Cleveland has to spend and the core signings (Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards and Reuben Droughns) have the Browns organization heading in the right direction for the first time since they returned as the “new” Browns. The last time Browns fans had this much firepower, we were watching Bernie Kosar, Earnest Byner and Webstar Slaughter run around Cleveland Stadium.
The Browns have decided not to sign L. J. Sheldon this year and this will prove to be a good move. The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a successful run without allowing a couple players to tie up all of their cap money. Savage is evaluating everyone from veterans like David Givens to “risk” players like Lavar Arrington. I still believe a veteran quarterback is necessary for this team to be successful. Charlie Frye hasn’t convinced me that he can lead this team now, or in the future. I don’t want to sign a number of high impact players and then have to wait for Frye to mature. Phil Savage and the Browns are running a tight rope with fan loyalty and I believe they need to win right away. The next couple days are critical for the entire Browns organization and its fans.
