Tranquill would give Cleveland another playmaker in the linebacker room
As it currently stands the Cleveland Browns are set to lose five linebackers when free agency officially begins next month, and it’s going to be interesting to see who the team replaces them with.
There are a lot of experienced and talented linebackers in this year’s free-agent pool, and the Browns could end up signing a couple of them early on if they feel it to be necessary. Drue Tranquill has shown a unique skillset for being “only” 234 pounds and he has a knack for always being around the football. He would be able to help in solidifying Cleveland’s linebacker room heading into the 2024 season.
Despite their current financial situation, they can create a decent amount of cap space within the next month ($40M+). Andrew Berry has always done a great job of being able to get the best “bang for his buck” in Free Agency and he’ll most likely continue to do so in 2024.
We will continue to profile free agents as we head into the NFL combine. Once we have data from draft prospects we will add NFL draft profiles as well.
Name
Drue Tranquill
Position
Linebacker
Height/Weight
6’2”, 234 pounds
2023 Team
Stats
2023: 16 games, 8 starts – 78 tackles, 7 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
Career: 63 games, 35 starts – 376 tackles, 26 TFL, 11 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
PFF Grade: 69.3
2023 Contract
1-year deal with Kansas City, $3,000,000 cap number
Fit with Browns
Tranquill is a very instinctual, athletic, and experienced linebacker who’s had success in multiple defensive schemes throughout his NFL career so far. He’s great in coverage and he’s been consistently exceptional when blitzing on delayed or “green dog”-type blitzes.
Cleveland would be able to do some fun things in the 2nd level of the defense if they decided to pair Drue Tranquill with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Browns player signing could impact
Tony Fields II – As of right now, Fields could be poised for a larger workload in 2024 depending on who the team adds via free agency and/or the NFL Draft.
He’s been fairly productive when on the field at WILL linebacker, but he hasn’t been able to take that next step yet to “break away” from the pack. If the team were to add Tranquill then he would most likely step in right away as the starter alongside J.O.K. in Cleveland.
How the signing could impact the NFL Draft
It’s hard to gauge Andrew Berry’s interest in the linebacker position heading into this year’s draft. On one hand, the front office could want to take one of the top-ranked linebackers in rounds 2 or 3 to have a talented, cost-efficient option for the next few seasons.
On the other hand, they could stick to what they usually do and wait until later to try to find a late-round “gem”. Either way, they’ll likely add multiple linebackers via free agency and it might not affect their draft plans at all.
Priority
Light-Medium. Cleveland always manages to find viable options at linebacker, and who they add here might be interchangeable based on Jim Schwartz’s scheme. Tranquill’s been an above-average player for both the Chargers and Chiefs over the past couple of seasons, and he might be a cheaper option for the type of skillset that he brings. He’s played on some of the biggest of stages in both college and the NFL, most recently coming off a Super Bowl win over the 49ers earlier this month.
Projected APY: $3,500,000 to $4,500,000
Who are some of your favorite free-agent linebackers besides Drue Tranquill? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
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