The Cleveland Browns have been very quiet through this free agency period, but they're not going to be totally inactive. They're hoping to build through the draft and get some under-the-radar players in free agency. One such player was reportedly signed on Wednesday, according to Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter.
League source confirmed #browns are signing former #bengals de frostee Rucker today. 4 sacks and 44 tackles in '11.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 14, 2012
That's Frostee Rucker, who played in all 16 of Cincinnati's games in 2011 and, as the tweet notes, piled up 44 tackles with four sacks. He started 11 games and was pretty highly regarded. It was easily his best season to date, since entering the league in 2006. He'd never had more than one sack in a given season, plus he had a couple pass deflections on top of that.
Cleveland may see Rucker as a player who could he hitting his stride, even at 28 years-old. Six seasons into the league and having his best one yet could be a sign that he's ready to get even more playing time, and will likely compete for a starting spot on Cleveland's defensive line across from Jabaal Sheard.
Update: Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer adds some details about Rucker's deal with the Browns:
Rucker's deal to Browns per league source is $21 million over five years with over $8 million guaranteed
— Joe Reedy (@joereedy) March 14, 2012
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