3 Impending Browns Free Agents With the Most to Prove in 2020

The Cleveland Browns aren't necessarily in "win now" mode, but Kevin Stefanski will need to pick up the pace a little bit in 2020. Not only does he have a third-year quarterback in Baker Mayfield and two of the game's finest receivers in Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, but he possesses several players at key positions in contract years. T

hese three Browns can either dominate and earn nice new deals from Andrew Berry and the front office, or fail and see their tenure in Cleveland come to an abrupt end.

3. DT Larry Ogunjobi

Ogunjobi faces competition for his starting defensive tackle job for the first time in a while, as third-round pick Jordan Elliott has the pass-rushing ability to steal the spot. Ogunjobi, the former Charlotte 49er, essentially mirrored his 2018 production in 2019, showing that he failed to take the leap from good to great that many in the organization expected from him. One more year of flatlining production might be enough for Cleveland to finally cut him loose and roll with Elliott.

2. EDGE Olivier Vernon

Cleveland's highest-paid player put together numbers that look like that of a mid-round rookie, not an allegedly elite pass rusher. Vernon played in just 10 games, recording 3.5 sacks despite the presence of Myles Garrett and Sheldon Richardson drawing attention away from offensive lines across the AFC. Vernon could get a chance to prove everyone wrong now that new defensive coordinator Joe Woods has replaced Steve Wilks. Unfortunately, one more disappointing season, and teams might not view the former Pro Bowler as a starter.

1. RB Kareem Hunt

We all know the story by now. Hunt led the NFL in rushing as a rookie, and he seemed to be the next great running back before a video of him kicking a woman surfaced online and the Kansas City Chiefs cut bait. Hunt saw limited action as Nick Chubb's backup in 2019, catching 37 passes as he filled the role vacated by Duke Johnson after he was traded. Hunt should be in for an increased workload next season considering how much Stefanski likes to rotate running backs. However, what happened in that video is hard to shake, and Hunt's next contract will be determined by how much teams think he has changed as a person, which will likely play a role in his production on the field. If he's staying out of trouble he should be getting enough reps to show his worth.