This summer, the Cleveland Browns wanted to strengthen their defensive lineman corps, and they acquired one of the top candidates.
Chris Jones never even gave another club an opportunity to entice him away from Kansas City, despite the cries of Browns supporters for the team to pursue him.
Then, just when it appeared that they were pursuing Christian Wilkins, they shifted their focus to Quinton Jefferson.
Remarkably, the New York Jets had a chance to match the offer he received and retain him, but they were slow to react, which led to his ultimately signing with the Browns (via Rich Cimini and Paul Andrew Esden Jr. on Twitter).
Jefferson will be extremely beneficial in stopping the run.
He is an additional physical force that can align himself with Myles Garrett in an attempt to clear some room.
After winning Defensive Player of the Year, Garrett might be even more effective in his second season under Jim Schwartz if he had someone to take some of the weight off him.
Although the defence the Browns had was excellent enough to win a title, there is always room for improvement.
After having five different starting quarterbacks during the regular season, this squad managed to win 11 games and go to the playoffs by relying heavily on their defence.
That is a criticism of Schwartz’s coaching style and a clear indication of Cleveland’s defensive team’s ability to be unstoppable for many years to come.
Jefferson might prove to be far more valuable than the Browns are paying for him, so hopefully he can remain healthy and play.
