The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Browns nab Hooper, Conklin, Keenum in busy day of free agent negotiations
Andrew Berry was just being coy when the first-year general manager announced at the NFL Scouting Combine the Browns might not be big spenders on the first day of free agency.
Noon on March 16 marked the first time this year teams could negotiate with free agents. Berry started the day by agreeing with tight end Austin Hooper to a four-year, $42 million deal. He followed that by locking up right tackle Jack Conklin for three years and $42 million and then agreed with quarterback Case Keenum for three years and $18 million.
The signings cannot be announced until the league year officially begins at 4 p.m. March 18.
Conklin, picked eighth overall by Tennessee in the 2016 draft, played four seasons with the Titans. He started 16 games each of his first two season, nine in 2018 and 16 games in 2019.
Conklin gives the Browns a huge upgrade over Chris Hubbard. Hubbard, signed as a free agent by former Browns general manager John Dorsey in 2018, started 16 games in 2018 and 14 last season.
Pro Football Focus ranked Conklin as the 13th-best overall free agent in 2020. Six players ranked higher are quarterbacks.
“Conklin is the best right tackle on the market, and he’s coming off a regular season which he finished 12th overall among tackles in PFF grade (78.3) and fifth in run-blocking grade (81.0),” PFF said in its scouting report.
“Conklin has some issues in pass protection, as his pass-blocking grade ranks just 49th on true pass sets over the last two seasons, and he’s on the higher end among offensive tackles receiving help (double teams, chip blocks, etc.). Still, Conklin is a versatile run blocker who finished with the No. 6 grade on zone runs and the No. 14 mark on gap runs. He’s been one of the better right tackles in the league since being drafted in the first round in 2016.”
Hubbard is under contract with the Browns for three more seasons totaling $20 million, but the money is not guaranteed.
Keenum replaces Drew Stanton as a veteran backup to Baker Mayfield. Stanton is an unrestricted free agent and will not be re-signed.
The 32-year-old well-traveled Keenum played quarterback for Minnesota in 2017 when Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was the Vikings quarterbacks coach. Keenum had the best year of his nine-year career that season, when he went 11-3 as a starter while throwing 22 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
Pat Shurmur, the Vikings’ offensive coordinator in 2017, parlayed Keenum’s success into a head coaching job with the Giants in 2018. Shurmur was fired after two seasons.
Keenum broke into the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Texans in 2012. He has played with the Rams, Vikings, Broncos and Redskins over the last four seasons. He went 1-7 as a starter with the Redskins last season while throwing 11 touchdown passes and five interceptions.