Browns Release WR Sammie Coates
The Browns have released wide receiver Sammie Coates, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Coates has personally confirmed the news with a thank you to the Browns organization on Twitter. 
Coates arrived in Cleveland last September via a trade with the rival Steelers. That deal saw the Browns send a 2018 sixth-round selection to Pittsburgh with a 2019 seventh-round pick going back to the Browns.
Coates, a former third-round pick himself, didn’t do a whole lot for the Browns. He had six catches for 70 yards with no touchdowns, a step back from his 21 catches for 435 yards and two scores in the previous season.
Many had expected Coates to be a bigger part of the offense with the Browns. He was buried, to some degree, by the Steelers’ other talented receivers. In Cleveland, he had a chance to be third on the depth chart behind offseason addition Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman. Britt disappointed and Coleman was limited due to injury, but Coates was still not a major factor for them.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/14/18
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:
RFAs
Tendered at the second-round level ($2.914MM):
- Cowboys DE David Irving (story)
- Giants: C Brett Jones (story via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
- Jets: Quincy Enunwa (story)
Tendered at original round level ($1.907MM):
- Browns: DT Jamie Meder
- Chiefs: DE Rakeem Nunez-Roches (via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM)
- Jets: OL Brent Qvale, TE Neal Sterling
- Lions: WR T.J. Jones (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com)
- Rams: OLB Matt Longacre (via Rapoport)
- Seahawks: DE Dion Jordan (story)
- Texans: C Greg Mancz
Non-tendered:
- Buccaneers: DE Ryan Russell (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Chargers: LB Josh Keyes
- Chiefs: LB Ramik Wilson (via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
- Dolphins: OL Anthony Steen
- Falcons: RB Terron Ward (via D. Orlando Ledbetter)
- Jaguars: S Peyton Thompson, RB Tyler Gaffney
- Jets: DL Xavier Cooper
- Lions: RB Zach Zenner, DE Brandon Copeland, DL Zac Kerin
- Packers: LB Joe Thomas (via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Panthers: WR Kaelin Clay, CB Ladarius Gunter, TE Scott Simonson, OL David Yankey (via David Newton of ESPN.com)
- Rams: LB Cameron Lynch, T Darrell Williams
- Saints: WR Brandon Coleman, DT David Parry
- Seahawks: RB Thomas Rawls, RB Mike Davis (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
- Steelers: WR Eli Rogers (story via Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
- Texans: LB Brian Peters, DE Angelo Blackson, LB Ben Heeney
- Titans: S Curtis Riley (via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com), RB Bishop Sankey (via Chris Tomasson)
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: QB Kevin Hogan
- Colts: TE Erik Swoope, G Jeremy Vujnovich, CB Christopher Milton, LS Luke Rhodes
- Dolphins: C Jake Brendel, LB Mike Hull, CB Jordan Lucas
- Giants: DT Robert Thomas (via Vacchiano)
- Jets: S Doug Middleton FB Lawrence Thomas TE Eric Tomlinson
- Lions: QB Jake Rudock, DT Christian Ringo
- Packers: WR Geronimo Allison (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
- Rams: K Sam Ficken (via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com)
- Raiders: LB/DE James Cowser, S Erik Harris, G/T Denver Kirkland
- Ravens: LB Patrick Onwuasor, WR Quincy Adeboyejo, OL Matt Skura, OL Maurquice Shakir
- Seahawks: RB J.D. McKissic, DE Quinton Jefferson, DE Branden Jackson (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
Non-tendered:
- Chiefs: DB Keith Baxter (via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
- Giants: TE Ryan O’Malley, LB Curtis Grant (via Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com)
- Lions: DT Rodney Coe, P Kasey Redfern (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com)
- Packers: CB Herb Waters, LS Taybor Pepper (via Silverstein)
- Saints: C Jack Allen
Browns To Sign CB T.J. Carrie
The Browns have reached agreement with free agent cornerback T.J. Carrie, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com (Twitter link).
The former Raiders corner signed for four years and $31MM, with $10MM fully guaranteed at signing, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. 
Before landing with Cleveland, Carrie also drew interest from the Broncos, but Denver signed fellow corner Tramaine Brock instead. Carrie ranked as PFR’s seventh-best available cornerback heading into the free agent period.
Cleveland needed all the secondary help it could find after ranking 27th in pass defense DVOA in 2017. So far, they’ve inked Carrie and Terrance Mitchell to go along with Jason McCourty, Jamar Taylor, and Briean Boddy-Calhoun, among others. Additionally, the Browns have interest in safety Morgan Burnett as they further remake their defensive backfield.
Carrie will almost surely play the slot in Cleveland, as the 27-year-old handled nickel duties for Oakland last season. In 15 starts, Carrie managed 70 tackles and graded as the NFL’s No. 21 CB, per Pro Football Focus. Football Outsiders’ metrics weren’t quite as fond of Carrie, as he ranked 68 out of 81 qualifiers in success rate.
Browns’ Joe Thomas To Retire
This is the end of the line for Joe Thomas. After a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com that the Browns’ stalwart left tackle is more than likely retiring, the 33-year-old Thomas confirmed it himself.
He will not return for a 12th season.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, but the right one for me and my family,” Thomas said. “Playing in the NFL has taken a toll on my body and I can no longer physically compete at the level I need to.”
He will leave the game as one of the best players of his era and will be a near-lock for the Hall of Fame five years from now.
“From the moment I was drafted, the city embraced me in a way that I could never fully describe,” Thomas said. “I am proud to call Cleveland home. The loyalty and passion of the fans is unmatched and it was an honor to play in front of them from the past 11 years. I would like to thank all of the coaches, teammates, staff, fans and everyone who has shown me support throughout my career. Even though I will be hanging up my cleats, I will always be a Cleveland Brown.”
He will end his career as one of the best offensive linemen of his era and one of the greatest players in Browns history. Thomas’ run of 10 straight Pro Bowls from 2007-16 doubles as the only time in NFL history an offensive lineman has accomplished that in his first 10 seasons. Only Otto Graham and Jim Brown ended their careers with more first-team All-Pro honors than Thomas’ six, the last of which coming in 2015. From 2009-15, only once did the 6-foot-7 blocker not finish as an All-Pro.
A constant trade candidate in his 30s, Thomas continued to insist he wanted to stay in Cleveland rather than go try and win elsewhere as so many veterans before him did. And neither Ray Farmer nor Sashi Brown pulled the trigger on dealing him. Although, the Browns and Broncos came close to striking a deal in 2015 — months before a Denver team with a need at tackle celebrated a Super Bowl championship.
Perhaps most known for his ironman streak that spanned from his rookie year until midway through last season, Thomas never appeared in a playoff game but established an immense legacy in northeast Ohio.
The Wisconsin product started in 167 straight games (10,363 straight snaps), protecting 20 different quarterbacks and being the team’s cornerstone player through many rebuilding missions. The closest the Browns came to the postseason was in Thomas’ rookie year, when Derek Anderson piloted the team to a 10-6 record. They have not had a winning season since and have won more than five games just one other time in that span.
Thomas has spoken glowingly about the Browns’ prospects, but he is opting to step aside.
“I think the future is really bright,” he said recently. “Obviously, John Dorsey came here for a reason because there was a ton of cap space, a ton of money that you can spend under the salary cap on new players, and obviously the draft picks that we have are pretty impressive, really unprecedented to have the first, the fourth [overall selections] and a couple early picks in the second round. So although the talent hasn’t been there for the team the last few years, the cupboards are not bare because of what we have coming down the pike in the next few years. For me as a player and for you guys as fans, it’s a great time to be a Cleveland Brown.”
Earlier this week, Thomas indicated that the Browns’ moves over the past week won’t impact his decision. Those moves, of course, include the acquisitions of wide receiver Jarvis Landry, quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and cornerbacks Terrance Mitchell and Damarious Randall. They also added a pair of new offensive linemen Chris Hubbard and Donald Stephenson. The Browns were interested in Nate Solder as a Thomas replacement, but the Giants agreed to sign him.
Thomas has been an active member of the community in Cleveland, having been the only player to earn the Walter Payton Man of the Year award multiple times (2010, 2012 and 2016), and has launched the ThomaHawk Show, a podcast with former Browns and Bengals wide receiver Andrew Hawkins.
Five Teams In On DE Adrian Clayborn
Defensive end Adrian Clayborn is drawing interest from a number of teams. The Patriots, Colts, Bucs, Browns, and the incumbent Falcons are all in the mix, a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Clayborn led the Falcons with 9.5 sacks last season, a career high, and entered free agency as one of our top 50 free agents available. Nearly two-thirds of that total came against the Cowboys when Tyron Smith was sidelined. With more than half of that list spoken for, he now stands as one of the best edge rushers available.
Clayborn graded out as PFF’s No. 19 ranked edge defender in 2017. Each of these teams utilize a 4-3 scheme, a setup in which Clayborn has spent his entire NFL career.
A Bucs reunion is in play. Tampa Bay, which let Clayborn walk in 2015 after an injury-riddled run in south Florida, has Robert Ayers and William Gholston penciled in as starters. The Colts hold more than $7oMM in cap space and have yet to make much of a splash thus far on the market. They are converting to a 4-3 look and could use proven linemen. The Browns have already added rotational cog Chris Smith and also have Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib as Myles Garrett complements. New England skated by without much depth at end last season but has Trey Flowers back and some unproven young cogs as well.
Bears, Browns Expected To Pursue Morgan Burnett
While many of the top free agents on this year’s market have agreed to terms with teams, the safety contingent still has some high-end options unattached. One of those players has drawn interest from two cash-rich suitors.
Both the Bears and Browns are expected to make pitches to longtime Packers safety Morgan Burnett, Ryan Wood of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
The Packers did have conversations at the Combine about what it would take to retain Burnett, and they’ve learned they could be priced out of the race. Burnett’s asking price is believed to be a deal north of $8.5MM per year. This would be the 29-year-old defender’s third NFL contract; he just wrapped up a four-year, $24.75MM deal.
Burnett has started all 102 games he’s played in Green Bay since being a 2010 third-rounder. The Browns already have acquired a Packers defensive back, and they’re planning to play Damarious Randall as a safety. They drafted Jabrill Peppers last year. Burnett obviously has far more experience than both of them. The Bears received top-flight play from Adrian Amos last year and have intriguing second-year talent Eddie Jackson on their back line as well, so their interest is somewhat curious.
Wood reports, however, that the Packers aren’t going to bow out of this without exploring a retention scenario. This is partially due to HaHa Clinton-Dix’s 2017 struggles. But Burnett could well follow Micah Hyde and Casey Hayward out of Green Bay soon, with the Browns and Bears holding the second- and seventh-most cap space as of Wednesday morning.
Browns Haven’t Ruled Out Saquon Barkley
The Browns added one of this year’s best available running backs in Carlos Hyde, but they haven’t ruled out selecting Saquon Barkley in next month’s draft, according to ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon. “Nobody is ruled out,” one source said of the Browns’ mindset. 
Of course, popular thought would dictate that the Browns will select a quarterback at No. 1 overall while addressing a different need at No. 4. By the time No. 4 rolls around, it’s likely that Barkley will be off the board.
Hyde inked a three-year, $15MM deal with Cleveland that includes $6MM in 2018. That’s a decent-sized deal, but the cash-flush Browns can afford to roster Hyde as the bottom half of a timeshare. That would be Hyde’s likely role, should the team go for the Penn State star.
The Browns still need to address their QB situation in the long term and one of their two top picks will almost certainly be used on a signal caller. But, if GM John Dorsey is ready to buck popular opinion and target, say, Baker Mayfield rather than Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold, he could get his man at No. 4.
The addition of Hyde was one of several to the Browns’ offense this offseason, joining quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Jarvis Landry. With a short-term quarterback in place, the Browns could also elect to trade the No. 1 overall pick to stash selections while also taking a quarterback at No. 4.
The Browns may also target North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb with the No. 1 pick. Cleveland already has four picks within the first 35 selections of this year’s draft.
Browns To Sign CB Terrance Mitchell
The Browns have agreed to a three-year, $12MM deal with free agent cornerback Terrance Mitchell, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Cleveland has spent the early portion of free agency adding mid-tier free agents, but the club had yet to address their secondary. The Browns reportedly had interest in the top cornerback on the market in Trumaine Johnson, but they’ll instead settle for Mitchell, whom general manager John Dorsey know from the pair’s time in Kansas City.
While the Browns can use all the help they can get after ranking 27th in pass defense DVOA, it’s unclear exactly how much Mitchell can offer. Last season, he ranked as a bottom-20 corner, per Pro Football Focus, while posting the most starts (nine) of his career. Mitchell, 25, did put up four interceptions, but his overall coverage marks left much to be desired.
Mitchell will now join a Browns secondary that also includes Jason McCourty, Jamar Taylor, and Briean Boddy-Calhoun, among others.
Browns To Sign TE Darren Fells
The Browns will sign tight end Darren Fells to a three-year, $12MM contact , tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. The deal contains more than $6MM in guarantees.
Cleveland had been on the lookout for a veteran tight end since releasing Gary Barnidge prior to the 2017 campaign. Fells, who turns 32 years old next month, will now team with former first-round pick David Njoku and Seth DeValve to give Cleveland a solid trio of tight ends.
Fells has never been a major part of his club’s passing attack, whether during his tenure in Arizona or his one-season run in Detroit. Last year, Fells collected 17 of 26 targets for 177 yards, but did manage to get into the end zone three times. As a blocker, Fells is roughly league-average in the run game but a top-10 option in the passing game, per Pro Football Focus.
Although they boast the most cap space in the league, the Browns have refrained from adding top-of-the-market players, preferring to sign mid-tier options (at least thus far). In addition to Fells, Cleveland has brought in Carlos Hyde, Donald Stephenson, Chris Hubbard, and Chris Smith.
Browns To Sign RB Carlos Hyde
The Browns have agreed to sign free agent running back Carlos Hyde to a three-year, $15MM deal that includes $6MM in 2018, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Hyde, 27, ranked as PFR’s No. 2 available running back and the No. 33 overall free agent. Among our list of the top free agent backs, only Dion Lewis, Isaiah Crowell, and Chris Ivory (who was released early and thus could sign earlier) have landed new contracts. Lewis, whom PFR tabbed as the best back on the market, received four years and $20MM from the Titans, outpacing Hyde in contact length but matching him in annual value.
Now that they’ll pair Hyde with a pass-catching back in Duke Johnson, the Browns may be out of the Saquon Barkley sweepstakes. Cleveland had reportedly been considering the Penn State standout with the first overall selection, but with a pair of veteran runners now poised to dominate carries in their backfield, the Browns could use that No. 1 pick — and the No. 4 overall slot they acquired from the Texans — on other positions, namely quarterback.
Hyde spent the first four seasons of his career with the 49ers, and had toted the ball more than 200 times in each of the past two seasons. Last year, Hyde put up 938 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns, but also posted a career-low 3.9 yards per carry. In the pass game, Hyde finished sixth among running backs with 59 receptions, but also graded as the single-worst pass-blocking back in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
With Hyde off the board, the best remaining free agent running backs include Jerick McKinnon, Rex Burkhead, Frank Gore, and Orleans Darkwa.
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