Kevin Zeitler rumors: Browns to sign former Bengals guard
By John Buhler
The Browns are paying a premium for a premium guard in Kevin Zeitler in free agency, prying him away from the arch-rival Bengals.
The Browns were the only team in the NFL with over $100 million in caps space. It’s no surprise that the Browns would be more than willing to pay a premium to land premium players. From the looks of it, Cleveland has successfully land marquee free agent offensive guard Kevin Zeitler away from the rival Bengals.
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “The Browns are signing guard Kevin Zeitler to a massive contract, more than $10 million per year.”
Paying eight figures annually for a guard seems a tad absurd, but nothing the Browns are doing in their lengthy rebuilding process has been conventional. Zeitler had played for Browns head coach Hue Jackson back when he was the offensive coordinator for the Bengals from 2014 to 2015.
The #Browns are signing guard Kevin Zeitler to a massive contract, more than $10M per year, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2017
Getting a player as good as Zeitler in his prime helps improve a weak offensive interior for Cleveland. The Browns already have a future Pro Football Hall of Famer at left tackle in Joe Thomas, but grossly missed offensive linemen like Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz who left Cleveland in free agency last year.
Overpaying for Zeitler is a bold move, but honestly the right one for the Browns. If they want any shot at contending in the next several years, they’ll need to have a strong pocket for whomever is starting at quarterback to work with.
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Zeitler is very familiar with what Jackson wants to do on offense. Though the Browns only won a game last season, being able to land Zeitler in free agency is a testament to what the league thinks of Jackson as a coach. It’s an expensive, but great move for Cleveland to get Zeitler.