This appears to be real this time. Jordan Schultz of Yahoo.com reports (via Twitter) confirms a report from earlier today via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicating Mychal Kendricks will sign with the Browns.
Schultz adds the Browns will pay Kendricks up to $3.5MM on his one-year deal, and Rapoport confirms he’ll make at least $3MM in 2018 (Twitter link). Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reported Kendricks is expected to sign the deal Monday. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press confirms Schultz’s report (Twitter link).
This process became rather strange when the linebacker emphatically refuted Rapoport’s initial report of him being Cleveland-bound. And Kendricks continued to be evasive Sunday night, hanging up when Tomasson attempted to contact him regarding Schultz’s report of the $3.5MM agreement (Twitter link).
Kendricks visited the Browns, Vikings and Raiders this week but will be the latest high-profile newcomer to make a trip to Cleveland, joining the likes of Tyrod Taylor, Jarvis Landry, Baker Mayfield and others. A seventh-year player, Kendricks will be in line to start alongside Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey in the Browns’ 4-3 scheme. Even if Kendricks reaches that $3.5MM mark, he’ll be the third-highest-paid Browns linebacker. Collins is on Cleveland’s books at $12.2MM in 2018, with Kirksey slotting in at a $6.2MM cap number.
The 27-year-old ‘backer will add to a talented Browns defensive second level, having graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 linebacker last season. He did this despite being involved in Eagles trade rumors for years. Extended during Chip Kelly‘s one year with personnel control, Kendricks was soon seen as an ill-fitting piece in Jim Schwartz’s system. He served as the third linebacker for Philadelphia in 2016, behind Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham, but became a key cog during the Eagles’ Super Bowl campaign after Hicks went down with a season-ending injury.
It will be interesting to see how Gregg Williams deploys Kendricks, since he already has two sub-package ‘backers in Collins and Kirksey. And Pro Bowler Joe Schobert started 16 games for Cleveland last season. Nevertheless, the Browns will attempt to fit the ex-Eagle into the fold, and he figures to play considerably in 2018 — a year that will serve as an audition year for Kendricks as free agency could again loom in March.
Just read something from Bleacher Report saying there was a call after the initial “signing” and denial that he’d signed for real this time but a reporter called to confirm but was hung up on
This might not be an opinion other people agree with, but I think Jamie Collins is the worst of Kendricks and the Browns’ other three starting linebackers.
Either way though, it’s nice to have an area on the roster that’s a clear strength. Between these four (plus Burgess, Genard Avery, and Tank Carder even though he’s more of a special teamer), that’s actually a really solid looking group in both talent and depth.
And considering injury histories, it’s good depth.
champs to the browns…haha