Only a little splash

That's it? 

While numerous National Football League teams jumped into the free-agent waters, the Browns have found them a little too chilly to do big business. Certainly not like a year ago when General Manager Andrew Berry made a big splash.

Maybe too much was expected this season, not taking into consideration the Browns' salary-cap haul was nowhere near as much as 2020. It tied Berry's hands often, especially at positions that badly needed help on defense.

Getting safety John Johnson III the first day was a terrific start. And then everything screeched to a halt in the next 24 hours because it seemed as though half the league's teams sought edge rushers. The Browns could not compete fiscally.

The  top tier of the field disappeared one by one, teams paying ridiculous amounts of money. The Browns could only watch. 

As they scratched off the names on their list, others with not nearly as much talent crept their way up to the top. And that's when the Browns dove in Tuesday afternoon, emerging with the nondescript Takkarist McKinley.

In yet another one of his prove-it deals that helped form a major portion of the defense last season, Berry convinced McKinley's people to agree to a one-year deal worth $4.25 million with a chance to kick it up to $6 million if certain incentives are met. (They won't be.)

McKinley is expected to replace Olivier Vernon opposite Myles Garrett on the defensive line. That is a gigantic step backward, He's no Olivier Vernon. They might similar in size -- each is 6-2 and around 265 pounds -- but that's where the comparisons end. 

Vernon, a 10-year veteran who suffered a ruptured Achilles late last season, is a career playmaker. An overachiever. McKinley, a four-year vet, is a classic underachiever. 

A first-round pick by Atlanta in the 2017 college draft, he posted just 17.5 sacks in his first three seasons before the Falcons waived him early last season. After failing physicals with two other clubs, the Las Vegas Raiders picked him up, ultimately placing him on injured reserve.

The only well-rated edge rushers remaining are Jadeveon Clowney and Haason Reddick. The Browns are reportedly interested in Clowney, but probably will have to take a pass since his worth is estimated to be around $12-$13 million-a-year, a neighborhood well beyond their checkbook reach. Besides, Clowney is more of a run-stopper than a threat from the edge. 

Reddick is coming off a career season in Arizona with 13 sacks. But five of them were in one game and it's his inconsistency that caused the Cardinals to allow him to test free agency. But at 6-1, 235, he is more a linebacker type.

Right now, it looks as though Berry will have to obtain Garrett's new partner either through the draft or in a trade unless he considers offering another one or two of those one-year deals to aging veterans like Melvin Ingram III, Carlos Dunlap, Justin Houston and Kyle Van Noy.