Deal or No Deal: Will The Browns Sign Their Impending Free Agents?

ILB Craig Robertson
NO DEAL
Robertson was the starting Will for the Browns defense. That means his responsibility is more in pass coverage and guarding the side of the ball where the opposing offense is less likely to run. I don’t see Robertson having a major fit in this defense going forward next year for the contract they will have to pay him. Christian Kirksey is better in coverage than Robertson and would be better fit to handle the Will than Robertson. Dansby is getting older and he might benefit moving to the weakside at times with him having six passes deflected and three interceptions to go along with his team leading 108 tackles. What the Browns really need is either a freakishly athletic linebacker that can blow things up or a high IQ and quick to react LB that can record a lot of tackles and stop the run. Robertson does not fit either role.

ILB Tank Carder
NO DEAL
Carder was more popular as a college football player as a star LB for a rising TCU team than a NFL player. His role for the Browns has been on special teams. He’s a fourth string ILB on the NFL’s worst run defense for the second straight year and hasn’t even seen more playing time to see if he can make any difference. Most special teamers are a dime a dozen so there’s no point bringing him back.

K Travis Coons
DEAL
We’ve seen kickers get cut and signed all over the place this season and most of it’s due to the new XP rule. There have been all kinds of misses this season which has made the kicking game more important and fun to watch. Coons technically hasn’t missed a FG this season. He’s 28 of 32 but all four of those misses were blocked. He does have a couple missed XP going 22 of 24 but his numbers this season are good enough to warrant coming back next season. There are still questions regarding his leg strength, since he does not have a career FG over 50 yards, but the accuracy means bring him back and sign an undrafted kicker to compete with him in the preseason next year.

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