The last-place team in the AFC North is going after two of the top defensive players from the first-place team in the AFC North.
The Browns have already contacted the agents for Ravens linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Cleveland appears ready to make formal contract offers to the two Ravens as soon as free agency starts on Tuesday afternoon.
Kruger appears to be a strong candidate to end up in Cleveland. The Browns are in hot pursuit, and the Ravens seem to have already resigned themselves to the fact that they don’t have enough salary cap space to keep him.
Ellerbe, however, still seems to have a decent chance of staying in Baltimore. Once the Ravens worked out a long-term deal with Joe Flacco, Ellerbe became their top target to keep in free agency. If they want to keep him, they may need to out-bid the Browns.