The Cleveland Browns were one of the worst all-around teams in football last season and after the free agent signing period opened on Tuesday the team did not wait long to address defensive needs, signing both Paul Kruger and Quentin Groves to contracts.
According to ESPN.com, one day after signing Kruger to a five-year deal away from the Ravens, the Browns shelled out some more money to Quentin Groves, who signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract on Wednesday after leaving Arizona. The Browns entered free agency with nearly $50 million in cap space and have been using it quickly.
On top of Groves, the team signed Kruger to a five-year, $40 million contract that includes nearly $20 million in guarantees, while they also signed lineman Desmond Bryant on Tuesday in a deal worth $15 million guaranteed. Bryant had a breakout year for the Raiders, while Kruger was an essential part of the Ravens Super Bowl success. The team could continue to make deals, including free agent linebackers or players on the offensive line.
The Browns are switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense under new head coach Rod Chudzinski and the addition of Kruger will help a struggling pass rush. The team brought in new defensive coordinator Ray Horton and he plans on working to upgrade a defense that ranked in the bottom half of the league in rushing and passing.
"With the additions of Paul and Desmond, we believe that we have significantly improved our defense overall, particularly our front seven," Browns CEO Joe Banner said. "This was one of our goals entering free agency, and we are thrilled that we were able to accomplish that. Like Paul, Desmond gives us someone with great size and athleticism for his position, and an ability to rush the passer."
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The signings by the Browns signals a shift in their philosophy under new owner Jimmy Haslam, who has said that he will aggressively try to put a competitive team on the field. Kruger had a great year for the Ravens, making 4.5 sacks for the team in the playoffs and adding nine sacks during the regular season.
The team could look to upgrade the secondary with Ed Reed or Charles Woodson or could add someone in the draft. The position is deep and those two are the main options after Dashon Goldson signed with Tampa Bay.
Cleveland looked impressive in three straight wins against the Steelers, Raiders and Chiefs, but the team took a step back and lost the final three games of the regular season. The Browns are a young team, but there are a number of talented players on the roster, including quarterback Brandon Weeden and running back Trent Richardson, who were both drafted in the first round last year.
The Browns have only gone to the playoffs once in the past 14 years and hasn't finished over .500 since 2007, when the team went 10-6 and finished second in the AFC North. This season the Browns lost their first five games before defeating the Bengals 34-24, but then lost three of the nest four games.