Free agency can offer shorter trip to respectability, but some players carry baggage: NFL Insider

NFL free agency in 2011 is still a work in progress, but there should be plenty of names to intrigue the Browns in the next shopping season.

View full sizeLenny Ignelzi / Associated PressChargers receiver Vincent Jackson is a big-time talent who could help the Browns ... as long as he doesn't get suspended for the season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — You'll know the Browns have turned the corner on building a strong roster when free agency is an afterthought rather than something to look forward to.

Browns President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert aren't big fans of free agency, but they aren't above using the quick-fix method to plug holes. Last year's free agents were quarterback Jake Delhomme, linebacker Scott Fujita, offensive tackle Tony Pashos and tight end Benjamin Watson.

As another losing season winds down, looking ahead to 2011 free agency is unavoidable. But a few factors make it difficult to project which players might draw the most interest.

Until a labor agreement is reached, we don't know if players will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after four, five or six years. (Some insiders are projecting five.)

Until the Browns make a decision on their coaching staff, we don't know what kind of offense and defense they will run.

And until the Browns declare their intentions on their own potential free agents -- kicker Phil Dawson, linebacker Matt Roth, cornerback Eric Wright, quarterback Seneca Wallace, fullback Lawrence Vickers and safety Abram Elam are six prominent players unsigned after this year -- we won't know how many holes they will have to fill.

The Depth Chart

Bernie Kosar's name is prominent in Browns annals, but he holds only one major NFL record -- most consecutive passes without an interception. The record is being threatened by the Patriots' Tom Brady.

Bernie Kosar, Browns, 1990-91, 308 attempts

Bart Starr, Packers, 1964-65, 294

Tom Brady, Patriots, 2010, 292

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The Kickoff

Is this the most crucial game yet for Eric Mangini?

If his job status is still up in the air, yes. Here's why:

Because of the Steelers' win Thursday night and their tie-breaker edge over the Ravens, Baltimore needs a win today to stay alive in the race for the AFC North title.

If the Browns pull off the upset today, the Steelers would clinch the crown and No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. That would render Pittsburgh's final game in Cleveland next week meaningless. They would rest several starters, most assuredly quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

So if the Browns beat the Ravens today, the chances of winning the following week are greatly enhanced.

Two wins against the Browns' most bitter division rivals would give them a 7-9 record -- a two-game improvement over last season.

Will that be enough to persuade team President Mike Holmgren to bring back Mangini? There's only one way to find out and it starts with a win today.

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North Nuggets

Ravens QB Joe Flacco is 5-0 against the Browns. But in the past two years, the Browns have ended career unbeaten streaks against them by Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, New Orleans' Drew Brees and New England's Tom Brady. . . . Colt McCoy is just the fifth QB with less than three years' experience to oppose the Ravens under coach John Harbaugh. Baltimore is 4-0 against them, beating Oakland's JaMarcus Russell, Pittsburgh's Dennis Dixon, the Jets' Mark Sanchez and Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman. . . . The Bengals have another chance to show they're better without Batman and Robin. Terrell Owens, aka Batman, is on injured reserve with a knee injury suffered against the Browns. Chad Ochocinco (Robin) could miss today's game because of bone spurs in an ankle. It's good news for running back Cedric Benson and could be bad news for the Chargers. . . . Former Bengals coach Sam Wyche is entering his third year as councilman in Pickens, S.C. . . . Knowing a Browns win clinches the AFC North crown for Pittsburgh, linebacker James Farrior said: "I'm rooting for Cleveland. I'm a Cleveland fan this weekend." . . . The Panthers bloodied the nose of Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh's 27-3 win Thursday night, but it wasn't rebroken.

Let's assume the Eric Mangini era continues and the defensive and offensive systems remain intact. Let's also assume five years is the requirement for unrestricted free agency. And let's assume all the above players are re-signed.

Given all that, the stocking needs on the roster would seem to fall this way: 1. No.1-caliber wide receiver; 2. 3-4-style defensive ends (two); 3. Cornerback; 4. Backup running back.

Following is a list of key potential free agents at those positions.

Wide receivers Vincent Jackson (Chargers), Braylon Edwards (Jets), Santonio Holmes (Jets), Terrell Owens (Bengals), Chad Ochocinco (Bengals), Randy Moss (Vikings), Malcom Floyd (Chargers), Plaxico Burress.

Analysis: Lots of big names with heavy baggage. Jackson and Holmes reportedly are one violation away from one-year suspensions. Ochocinco only becomes free if the Bengals don't exercise a $6 million contract option. Burress, 33, is serving a two-year prison sentence in a gun case and is up for release in June.

Defensive ends John McCargo (Bills), Haloti Ngata (Ravens), Nick Eason (Steelers), Shaun Cody (Texans), Marques Douglas (Titans), John Henderson (Raiders), Richard Seymour (Raiders), Jacques Cesaire (Chargers), Marcus Spears (Cowboys), Barry Cofield (Giants), Fred Evans (Vikings).

Analysis: Ngata, of course, won't be leaving Baltimore. Eason is a former Brown who found new life in Pittsburgh. Seymour has played for Mangini in New England. Cofield is an intriguing local product.

Cornerbacks Drayton Florence (Bills), Ashton Youboty (Bills), Antonio Cromartie (Jets), Chris Carr (Ravens), Fabian Washington (Ravens), Johnathan Joseph (Bengals), Anthony Madison (Steelers), Ike Taylor (Steelers), Champ Bailey (Broncos), Nnamdi Asomugha (Raiders), Stanford Routt (Raiders), DeAngelo Hall (Redskins), Carlos Rogers (Redskins), Nathan Vasher (Lions), Richard Marshall (Panthers), Ronde Barber (Buccaneers), Kelly Jennings (Seahawks).

Analysis: Lots to choose from. Starting-caliber cornerbacks in free agency are a big-ticket item, so Joseph, Bailey, Asomugha, Hall, Rogers and Marshall might be too expensive to throw into a three-man rotation. But if the Browns move Sheldon Brown to safety, it would open the door for a starter-type.

Running backs Ronnie Brown (Dolphins), Derrick Ward (Texans), Joseph Addai (Colts), Laurence Maroney (Broncos), Darren Sproles (Chargers), Jerome Harrison (Eagles), Jerious Norwood (Falcons), DeAngelo Williams (Panthers), Cadillac Williams (Buccaneers), Jason Wright (Cardinals), Brian Westbrook (49ers).

Analysis: Brown, Addai, and both Williamses probably will be marketed as starters. Of the rest, a change-of-pace back to complement Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty might be the need. A guy like former Browns Harrison or Wright.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tgrossi@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

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