The Cleveland Browns could be one of the big spenders in free agency this offseason, as the team has a ton of salary cap space and players like Julius Thomas, Randall Cobb, Jeremy Maclin, DeAngelo Williams, Ndamukong Suh, Brian Hoyer, CJ Spiller and Mark Ingram could be potential targets and this comes as Josh Gordon has been suspended for the 2015 season.
The Browns have questions at quarterback moving forward and the team could look at bringing back Brian Hoyer as a free agent. Johnny Manziel entered rehab this offseason and Josh Gordon was suspended for violating terms of his NFL punishment and that means the Browns could look at upgrades at WR this offseason. According to Jeremy Fowler at ESPN.com, Cobb, Maclin, Torrey Smith, Cecil Shorts and Hakeem Nicks could be potential targets for the team to try and replace Gordon.
According to the Denver Post, the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars will be two of the top suitors for tight end Julius Thomas and that means he could end up leaving Denver. The Browns have a glaring need at tight end after the way Jordan Cameron was banged up last season and recent reports have him "not interested" in signing back to Cleveland. Thomas will likely command some money on the market, but with the cap space the Browns will have (projected around $50 million) he could be a prime option for the team.
Thomas has made 24 TD catches over the last two seasons and he could be a consistent red zone threat for the Browns. Cobb and Maclin both are coming off of strong seasons and if they ask for too much money from their current teams, the Browns could step up. Cobb is an intriguing option, as he is just 24 and is coming off of a big season. The Raiders reportedly are interested and he comes in after setting career marks with 91 catches, 1287 yards and 12 touchdowns with the Packers. Cobb wants $9 million per season and could get priced out of Green Bay.
Fowler has written extensively about the Browns plans for quarterback in 2015 and there are many different avenues they can go down to solve the issue. Manziel remains a developmental project when looking at his skills as just a football player and on top of that he has his off the field issues to deal with. The team likes Connor Shaw, but he is young and inexperienced and that could lead the team to the free agent market for options.
Hoyer is a target for the team, but Ray Farmer said he would only be brought back "at the right price", while Mark Sanchez and Ryan Mallett are other option on the market. Pro Football Talk reports that Josh McCown is visiting with the Browns and he could be another target for the team to bring in as a free agent. Manziel likely needs more time to develop and getting a short term quarterback could be a solid move for the team. The Browns finished 7-9 last season after starting off 7-4 and staying in the playoff race and now the team is looking to bounce back in 2015.
