Cleveland Browns Free Agent Review: CB Dimitri Patterson

by Chris Pokorny on Feb 22, 2012 1:39 PM EST

We are currently in process of doing brief reviews of all of the free agents on the Cleveland Browns. In this post, we take a look at the guy who made our secondary solid last year.

CB Dimitri Patterson

How and When He Joined the Browns: After spending two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (and other teams prior to that), Patterson became a free agent. The Browns signed him after the lockout right near the start of training camp, but with Joe Haden, Sheldon Brown, Coye Francies, and Buster Skrine all on the roster, it seemed as though Patterson might be camp fodder.

Productivity Level Last Season: Patterson was far from camp fodder, and it didn't take long to realize that. His ties to Dick Jauron from Philadelphia made him confident that he would be a utility man at cornerback. Patterson only notched 25 tackles on the season and did not have an interception, but he defended 12 passes and played the nickelback position beautifully all year long. He seemed a bit conservative during the week he filled in as a starter, but he far exceeded everyone's expectations overall. Patterson also added three tackles on special teams, a unit he did not play on all the time. He missed two games with an ankle injury but rebounded fine from it.

Why Keeping Him Could Make Sense: The Browns definitely have one long-term starter at cornerback in Joe Haden, but how many more years can they keep asking for "one more year" out of Sheldon Brown? Patterson isn't exactly a young player (he will be entering his eighth NFL season), but his comfortability in the system could make him the next "N-year starter" opposite Haden, while allowing a youngster like Buster Skrine to play at nickelback. Ultimately, it would be great just to retain Patterson for his skills at nickelback though, since that is where he seems to play best.

What the Browns Should Do: With Brown getting older, the Browns need to establish a guy like Patterson as their new "veteran" of the secondary. He shouldn't be too expensive to re-sign and played at a very high level in 2011. If that doesn't make him a no-brainer for the Browns to retain him, then I don't know what the front office is looking for.

Now it's your turn -- vote in the poll below on whether or not the team should try to re-sign Dimitri Patterson!

Poll

Should the Cleveland Browns re-sign free agent CB Dimitri Patterson?

Yes

672 votes

No

65 votes

737 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 24 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

No brainer, retain.

by Roger Dorn on Feb 22, 2012 1:53 PM EST reply actions

yes

by Poppawolf on Feb 22, 2012 11:00 PM EST up reply actions

I’d definitely keep him but I really wouldn’t be surprised to see Skrine make a push for that 2nd CB spot while moving Brown to safety opposite of Ward.

by tdubbs12 on Feb 22, 2012 2:07 PM EST reply actions

This makes sense to me. As long as Skrine continues to get better, which I think he did each game last year.

"A drug person can learn to cope with things like seeing their dead grandmother crawling up their leg with a knife in her teeth. But no one should be asked to handle this trip." Thompson

by LocalMan on Feb 22, 2012 2:41 PM EST up reply actions

Thats what I was thinking, but then I thought “I’d love to have a guy who plays as well as Dmitri did last season as my fourth corner.”

"It is unlikely that anyone has ever read Nietzsche or Derrida and has been inspired to open a soup kitchen"

by troy145 on Feb 22, 2012 7:53 PM EST up reply actions

Coye Francies?

Is Coye Francies really in the mix again?

by blane1966 on Feb 22, 2012 3:37 PM EST reply actions

yeah he’s gotta go.

"It is unlikely that anyone has ever read Nietzsche or Derrida and has been inspired to open a soup kitchen"

by troy145 on Feb 22, 2012 7:53 PM EST up reply actions

Dude isn’t even on the team anymore. Go SJSU.

by Brownie's Year on Feb 22, 2012 9:22 PM EST up reply actions

I remember one game where he was a beast at covering punts and making tackles. He is definitely young enough, versatile enough, and cheap enough to be resigned.

I should have made my screen name DerekAndersonIsMyBrother

by Doc's Kid on Feb 22, 2012 5:44 PM EST reply actions

Not saying I don’t want to re-sign him, but dude turns 29 before next season – not exactly a spring chicken…

by Vududawg on Feb 23, 2012 10:56 AM EST up reply actions

The game that Patterson started, he also was assigned DHB quite often. It was clear that we were going to make him catch 10+ passes if he was going to have a huge game on us. We took away what he does best (go deep).

That should be factored in if people are looking to judge him by that start. I think we should keep him, he exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations.

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by rufio on Feb 23, 2012 12:02 AM EST reply actions

At the least he provides very solid depth. I really liked what he did as a “big nickel” when he was assigned to TEs too.

by Vududawg on Feb 23, 2012 10:58 AM EST up reply actions

I think as long as we don’t ask him to be Joe Haden he’ll do just fine in any role.

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by rufio on Feb 23, 2012 1:56 PM EST up reply actions

When I saw Patterson play the first game or two, I thought “great, another Eric Wright”. But he made me eat a large crow. He is a gem, and one of the reasons why I think we don’t need Claiborne in the upcoming draft. Him and Haden are sufficient.

Ohio's premier Russian fan.

by Heavysoviet on Feb 23, 2012 12:25 AM EST reply actions

This is a guy we need on the roster, can play slot and outside. I like his energy on the field and he stays fired up. I’d like to see Skrine hang around the 10-15 snaps level for a bit longer.

by Mal Reynolds on Feb 23, 2012 12:28 AM EST reply actions

I'm curious to hear the arguments against keeping him.

↑ that

by CosmosBob on Feb 23, 2012 12:28 AM EST reply actions

They are just Pittsburgh trolls

"Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."

by Suppa Bob on Feb 23, 2012 7:04 AM EST up reply actions

I don’t know why anyone voted no…

by Ryno III on Feb 23, 2012 2:07 AM EST reply actions

Probably the usual trolls who read something on B/R that he was “one of the 25 least valuable players” last year and instead of actually watching him play went off that.

by HenryDawg on Feb 23, 2012 8:00 AM EST up reply actions

Loved him last season. Big time keep.

Why did the Steeler fan grow a mustache? So he could look like his mother.

by Bernie19Kosar on Feb 23, 2012 8:18 AM EST reply actions

I like our CB depth. Him, Skrine, and Dockery could help transition Sheldon to Safety without seeing a huge dropoff in production.

by Justin Kowalczyk on Feb 23, 2012 11:27 AM EST reply actions

I voted no and I felt like all season long opposing teams just found him and went to whoever he was covering for a completion when they really needed one. Rufio mentioned the Oakland game and said that was more the exception than the rule for Patterson last season but my perception was that he was the guy opposing QBs picks on more than anyone else. He wasn’t terrible but I think the position could be upgraded.

by PaduaDSP on Feb 23, 2012 12:51 PM EST reply actions

Unless we draft a guy like Claiborne high in the draft—and even for little bit if we do—people are going to pick on CBs 2 and 3. Why throw against Joe Haden?

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by rufio on Feb 23, 2012 1:58 PM EST up reply actions