The Cleveland Browns finished with an impressive 49 sacks this past season, ranking sixth in the NFL in that category.
However, 14 of those sacks came from Myles Garrett, and the Browns’ No. 2 sack-getter, Za’Darius Smith (5.5 sacks), may be departing via free agency.
Garrett could use some assistance, especially if Smith leaves.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox has pegged the Browns as one of the top free-agent fits for Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter.
Hunter may have priced himself out of the Vikings’ range, as Minnesota may want to consider going with a rebuild, especially if its ends up losing Kirk Cousins (which appears to be a more and more likely scenario as time passes).
For that reason, the 29-year-old will probably be playing his football elsewhere in 2024.
Hunter will surely have a long list of potential suitors. After all, he is coming off of a brilliant 2023 campaign in which he racked up 83 tackles, 16.5 sacks and four forced fumbles en route to his fourth Pro Bowl selection.
However, Hunter may want to narrow his list down to contenders given the fact that he will turn 30 years old in the middle of next season. The Browns would meet those qualifications.
The question is, will Cleveland have the financial wherewithal to sign a player like Hunter?
Right now, the Browns have $2.4 million in cap room heading into free agency. They could always open up some more space by cutting players and/or restructuring contracts, but it may still be difficult to fit Hunter into their budget regardless.
Hunter will surely command a hefty annual salary, and with Cleveland having some other holes to fill, he may ultimately prove to be too expensive for the club.
Still, the Browns should try to pull out all the stops to bring Hunter aboard.
The LSU product has logged double-digit sacks five times in his nine-year NFL career and has posted over 12 sacks on four of those five occasions.
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