Impact players are hard to come by. And, chances are the Browns are about to lose one of them because Simon Fraser wants to test the waters of free agency, according to Jeff Schudel of the News Herald. That would likely end his two-year stay with the team.
A source close to the former Buckeye, who made the roster as an undrafted rookie in 2005, said he hopes the Browns do not tender him a contract so he can become an unrestricted free agent on Feb. 29, the same as any player with at least four years in the league whose contract has expired. He was not happy with playing time he got with the Browns in 2007, the source said.
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Fraser had a very quiet season last year for a team that had a very poor performing defensive line. He finished the season with 17 tackles and one quarterback pressure.Fraser never was a good fit for a underdeveloped 3-4 system, or for a 3-4 system in general in the NFL. Chances are that he would fit better into a 4-3 scheme where he could focus more on rushing the passer rather than plugging the line.Unfortunately, since Fraser was never drafted and never really had a significant impact with the Browns (other than stupidly getting flagged for hitting Ben Roethlisberger two years ago), he'll have to work his tail off to win a job elsewhere. I doubt people around the league are coveting backups on the Browns' defensive line, but we have seen guys like Jovan Haye receive prominent roles elsewhere, so you never know.Other free agents to note (of the unrestricted variety): OL Lennie Friedman, OL Seth McKinney, NT Ethan Kelly, and Chaun Thompson.
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