Buffalo's talented defensive line rules the day

Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes (far left) scoops up a fumble by Cleveland Browns running back Terrance West and proceeds to the end zone with fellow defenders for a score in the second half.

(John Kuntz, NEOMG)

BEREA, Ohio -- Jerry Hughes was last spotted by Browns fans picking up a fumble he created and running away with their season.

The big play, an 18-yard touchdown return off a Terrance West turnover, broke open a tight game and ignited a Bills' 26-10 romp on Nov. 30. The Browns, who entered the showdown 7-4, wouldn't win again.

Hughes' involvement in the season-altering sequence was noteworthy because it came at the expense of the coach who helped resurrect his career.

The 26-year-old edge rusher, a 2010 first-round pick by the Colts, was on the verge of being labeled a bust before Mike Pettine became his defensive coordinator in Buffalo. Hughes recorded 10 sacks two years ago and duplicated the feat in 2014. He's registered a combined 79 quarterback hurries in the past two seasons, according to ProFootballFocus.com, while playing in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes.

The Bills boast one of the league's best defenses and don't want to lose Hughes. The Buffalo News reports the club is negotiating with his representatives. It would cost roughly $14 million to franchise him, however, and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is due a steep pay raise. The Bills already have three Pro Bowlers on their defensive line -- Dareus, Mario Willams and Kyle Williams.

If Hughes hits the open market on March 10 the Browns should strongly consider adding him to a defense that finished 27th in sacks. Pairing him with Paul Kruger on the edges would give the Browns an established pair of pass rushers.

The guess here is the club will let Jabaal Sheard reach free agency. If that's the case, the Browns definitely will have a need on the edge. Barkevious Mingo was improved in his second season, but he remains a better athlete than quarterback stalker.

The Browns, who have the third-most salary-cap space, can attack the deficiency a couple ways. They could use one of their two first-round picks on an edge rusher -- Clemson's Vic Beasley, Missouri's Shane Ray, Kentucky's Alvin Dupree, Nebraska's Randy Gregory. They obviously have other needs starting at quarterback and including receiver, run stuffer, tight end and offensive lineman.

I'm not in favor of mortgaging the future to trade up for a system/spread quarterback like Marcus Mariota, but heaven knows the Browns must fill the void. Nothing would surprise me.

For the sake of argument, lets say the Browns use their first rounders on a receiver and defensive tackle -- a Malcolm Brown-Jaelen Strong or a DeVante Parker-Brown combination. In this scenario, pursuing Hughes makes sense.

I spent a day at Bills' training camp prior to last season and defenders had nothing but respect for Pettine and Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil. Hughes spoke glowingly of Pettine.

"He's a players' coach," Hughes said. "He knows how to have fun when it's time and he knows when it's time to get serious and work.

"What players (in Cleveland) will appreciate is he put guys in the best positions to be successful."

The Browns were dreadful against the run, but finished top-10 in scoring defense (21.1) and pass defense (224.5 yards). They led the league in passer rating against (74.1) and ranked second in interceptions (21).

The franchise has lots of pieces in place on defense. Adding the right run stuffer and edge rusher would turn a good defense into a dominant one.

There's always a risk in free agency, and targeting Hughes is no exception.

Is the edge rusher the product of all the talent surrounding him in the Bills defense? It's a fair question and one that was asked two years ago when the Browns spent heavily on Kruger. The knock on the former Ravens outside linebacker was that he wouldn't excel without Terrell Suggs opposite him. After a pedestrian first season in orange and brown, Kruger responded with a career-high 11 sacks last year.

Hughes played in a 4-3 base a year ago and showed he could produce in various schemes. His familiarity with Pettine's system should ease any transition.

There's a lot of moving pieces here as we approach free agency. The Cardinals just released defensive tackle Darnell Dockett. But if Hughes gets to market in two weeks, the Browns should take a hard look at acquiring him.