The Cleveland Browns have a ton of cap space to spend this offseason and players like Jeremy Maclin, Brian Hartline, Harry Douglas, Byron Maxwell, Cecil Shorts, Randall Cobb and Walter Thurmond could be potential targets, as the team dealt with issues with both Justin Gilbert and Josh Gordon in 2014 and they could look at adding depth at both those positions.
The Browns started off the season with plenty of optimism and after going 7-4 they were in the playoff race, but they ended the year on a down note with five straight losses. The team now has a number of areas where they could look at adding players, including at wide receiver, corner back, running back, quarterback and safety. According to ESPN.com reported Jeremy Fowler, the team could look at Jeremy Maclin and Randall Cobb as options to replace Josh Gordon, who will be out for the 2015 season.
Maclin is coming off of a career season and after hitting a "snag" in negotiations with the Eagles (per the Newark Star-Ledger), Maclin could look at signing elsewhere. Cobb is also coming off of a big year and reports have him looking for $9 million a season, which could lead him to greener pastures, just not in Wisconsin. The Browns are projected to have over $50 million in cap space and that means they can afford to overpay a bit to get someone to come to Cleveland if they choose.
According to Adam Schefter at ESPN.com, Harry Douglas and Brian Hartline were both released and they could be affordable options for the Browns to bring in. Hartline had just signed a new contract last year, while Douglas was expected to be let go for salary cap space for the Falcons. Gordon is out after violating his league suspension guidelines and now the Browns will try and find a replacement for him in the offense.
The Browns have issues at quarterback as well and recent reports have the team checking in on Josh McCown as a potential free agent target. On defense the team also has a number of issues and while they have Joe Haden, they could look at adding a quarterback after Justin Gilbert's struggles.
Gilbert was a first round pick and he was the player the Browns took instead of Sammy Watkins, as they traded their pick to the Buffalo Bills. Gilbert came in with plenty of potential and while he showed some flashes of his talents, overall his rookie season was not a success. Byron Maxwell is a free agent from the Seahawks, while Thurmond is on the market after one year with the Giants. Both played for the Seahawks and that could lead the Browns to target one of those names to help Gilbert with veteran guidance to get Gilbert where he needs to be in the future.
After the season, owner Jimmy Haslam called out Gilbert and quarterback Johnny Manziel for their maturity issues and said that both had to improve heading into 2015. The fact that it was those two players, both of whom were first round picks, was not a good look for the Browns. The team has two first round picks again this year and there is a chance they could look at trading one of them if they want to move up to draft a player.
