After sitting back and watching the transactions the first two days of free agency, Cleveland Browns fans finally saw Mike Holmgren and company make their first two additions to the roster on Sunday. After hearing that Tony Pashos signed earlier in the day, it was reported soon after that LB Scott Fujita had signed as well.
One of the members from Canal Street Chronicles, our New Orleans Saints affiliate, weighed in on the type of player that Fujita is:
I think he’ll do great in Cleveland. He came to the Saints coming off of out 3-13 Katrina season, and has been a solid block in our 4 year rebuilding process culminating with a Superbowl. He’s certainly not afraid to step up as a leader on a rebuilding team, and should be a great player to help you guys turn it around.
He’s not the flashiest, highlight-reel player, but he gets the job done and gets it done well. Don’t assume “not flashy” is the same as “not good.” He rarely makes mistakes, and is almost never the reason a defensive play fails. He should be a starter for you guys for the next few years. I’m sure you guys will like him as much as we did. Kudos to you on getting a solid player!
So far, I see this year's free agency as being quite similar to last year's free agency period. We're signing veteran players who aren't superstars but can hold their own at their position. The only difference is that since Mangini drained the pool of Jets last year, we're actually looking around at other teams' rosters.
Fujita is expected to make the move from outside linebacker in the Saints' 4-3 defense to inside linebacker in the Browns' 3-4 defense. Fujita will help to strengthen the Browns' run defense, which has been pretty bad since the return to the league in 1999.
Based on how well David Bowens played last year, an early projection would have our starting linebacker unit consisting of Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson, Scott Fujita, and David Bowens. However, part of me wonders if there's an outside chance that Bowens stays on the inside (where he was at the end of last season) and we work Jackson out of the rotation. Eric Barton would likely be the odd man out, with Jason Trusnik and Matt Roth being the primary backup linebackers alongside last year's draft picks.