The first big splash of free agency for the Browns wasn’t a signing, but a trade. Defensive lineman Corey Williams will be heading to Detroit. The details are mixed as to what type of pick the Browns received for Williams. The best information we have is that the pick is a 5th rounder. It is possible that the pick is for next year’s draft however. We might not get the full details until Williams takes his physical and the deal is completed.
As has been written here before, the Browns have a ton of money invested in the defensive line. While I think that both lines are vital to a team’s success and that they certainly deserve a piece of the pie, the Browns were paying an awful lot for a guy that had lost his starting job. When Williams came here after the 2007 season along with Shaun Rogers, he was supposed to stabilize a weak position. That never happened. He was never the pass rush threat in Cleveland that he was in Green Bay. The switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 certainly could be to blame. Others have suggested that Williams, like some who get a big payday, became less motivated.
No matter the reason, Williams was never going to see the nearly $9 million dollars owed to him from the Browns this year. The Browns would have probably cut him had they not found a suitor for him. Enter the Lions.
The Lions get a player that they need without having to go through the hassle of free agency. The Browns get out of a terrible contract. Is Williams worth more than a 5th rounder? Certainly he is in a 4-3 defense. No 5th rounder is going to be making $8 million and change this season or next for that matter.
The Browns are probably not done dealing either. Keep checking back, and follow us on twitter to stay up with the latest.
