Three Post-Cut Free Agents the Browns Should Target

Former Carolina Panthers Kicker Joey Slye

The Browns released former kicker Cody Parkey this week and chose kicker Chase McLaughlin as their kicker to start the season. Statistically, McLaughlin seems like he's had a fine career. 

But he has been cut many times in just two seasons, which means that there is probably some volatility in his game. Maybe the Browns expect McLaughlin to be the long-term answer, but I can't get on board with that with what we know on the surface. Heck, he even missed an extra point badly in the last preseason game.

Joey Slye has had his ups and downs with the Panthers, but he has been a solidified kicker for Carolina for two years. It appears that Slye struggled a bit in camp, and he did miss three field goals in the preseason (one being a massive 63 yarder.) 

While this would be a concern for the Browns, I think that they just need constant competition for McLaughlin at this point because there is just no proof that he is the answer at kicker. 

Former New England Patriots QB Cam Newton

Okay, hear me out. This just won't happen, but I think that the Browns are one of the best fits for Cam Newton if the Browns were simply focused on winning games without Baker Mayfield for whatever reason.

Case Keenum is a fine backup, but they're not winning anything with him, and he would be someone I would look to move if a team were to need a spot starter this season. 

Newton has struggled to throw the ball well in the last few seasons, but the catch radius of Browns stars from a pure hands perspective is about as good as it gets. While this isn't a rousing endorsement, I think that it is fair to consider. 

The real key is the Browns running game with their elite offensive line. Imagine if Baker were to go down and the Browns were to shift into an option-heavy offense utilizing Chubb, Hunt, that O-line, and Cam Newton at QB. This offense with Odell Beckham on short slants or even jet sweeps could really give teams problems, especially if it were just for a few weeks.

Former Miami Dolphins Linebacker Bernardrick McKinney

McKinney was traded for just a few months ago and was surprisingly cut by the Dolphins following an injury-riddled 2020 season. While McKinney wasn't an elite player in 2020. 

He is a former second-round pick that has shown clear starter upside, and there is no reason to believe that McKinney could be a real contributor to a good team. The Browns aren't super deep at linebacker, and this was shown by their willingness to keep seven on the roster following cuts. McKinney would be a great bet on talent at a cheap cost for a team pushing to make a Super Bowl appearance.