Browns looking to add free agents

The Browns are expected to pursue one or two big-name free agents when teams are permitted to begin talking to players Mar. 9. Their biggest needs are a pass-rusher, a quarterback to press Brandon Weeden, a receiver and a cornerback.
The Browns have about $48.5 million in cap space -- second-most in the league behind the Bengals -- and CEO Joe Banner said at the NFL Combine last week that he expects the Browns to be participants in the free agent market.
Depending on which players get the franchise tag by Monday, some intriguing big-name free agents include Ravens outside linebacker Paul Kruger and Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace.
At the Super Bowl last month, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam tempered the fans' enthusiasm for a spending spree.
"I don’t think you’ll see us making any big, splashy, high-priced moves because I think we’ve said all along we’re going to build through the draft,” he said.
But the Browns will try to add one or two marquee players and then fill some holes with a few other key contributors. Actual signings can begin Mar. 12.

The Browns will pursue two of the biggest-name pass-rushers in free agency in Baltimore's Paul Kruger and Detroit's Cliff Avril.
They're also likely to go after Raiders defensive tackle Desmond Bryant and Cardinals linebacker Quentin Groves, sources said.
Kruger, who helped the Ravens defeat San Francisco in the Super Bowl last month, will be one of the most sought-after pass-rushers on the market if the Ravens don't re-sign him by Tuesday. A second-round pick of the Ravens in 2009 out of Utah, Kruger (6-4, 270) had nine sacks in five starts at outside linebacker last season, and added 4.5 in the playoffs. Kruger could command as much as $9 million a year on the open market.
Avril, a defensive end, will also be a hot ticket come Tuesday. But the Browns might have the inside track, because their new defensive line coach Joe Cullen helped draft Avril, 26, in Detroit in 2008 and developed him as a rookie. That season, Avril led all rookies with six sacks and four forced fumbles.