Free-agent cornerback Brent Grimes visited the Browns on Saturday, Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com reported.
The Browns could fill their need for a starting cornerback opposite Joe Haden if they sign Grimes. However, they have competition.
Grimes, 29, also visited the Miami Dolphins on Friday, the team announced. And the Falcons want him back, Marvez reported.
The 5-foot-10, 183-pound Grimes established himself as an elite corner and received the Falcons’ franchise tag last year before suffering a season-ending torn Achilles’ tendon in Week 1.
Grimes’ 2011 season also was cut short because he underwent knee surgery, but he had 49 tackles, 14 passes defensed and one interception in 12 games. In 2010, he had 87 tackles, 23 passes defensed and five interceptions in 16 games, earning a selection as a Pro Bowl alternate.
The Browns need a cornerback to replace free agent Sheldon Brown in the starting lineup. If Grimes can bounce back from his torn Achilles and the Browns nab him, he could patch one of the most glaring holes on their roster.
Last month at the NFL Scouting Combine, Falcons coach Mike Smith said Grimes’ rehabilitation was coming along as planned.
“He’s still working in the training room,” Smith said. “But he is progressing very well.”
Grimes signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2006. After spending time with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, Grimes worked his way from the Falcons’ practice squad to their active roster and became a regular contributor in 2008.
Tight-end hunt
The Browns are still in the market for a tight end, and apparently they’re considering more than one Davis.
Free agent Kellen Davis has received interest from the Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, NFL Network’s Albert Breer reported. He has visited the Steelers and Saints.
The Chicago Bears cut Davis on Wednesday, a day after they signed fellow tight end Martellus Bennett via free agency. The 6-foot-7, 267-pound Davis, 27, was a full-time starter for the Bears during the past two seasons.
Davis had 19 catches for 229 yards and two touchdowns this past season, though he dropped eight of the 27 catchable passes thrown his way, according to ProFootballFocus.com. Davis, a fifth-round draft pick of the Bears in 2008, caught 18 passes for 206 yards and five touchdowns in 2011.
The other Davis the Browns remain interested in is Fred Davis, a free-agent tight end who has spent the past five seasons with the Washington Redskins, Breer reported Saturday. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Browns and Redskins were “serious about signing” him.
Fred Davis, 27, is coming off a torn Achilles and has off-the-field baggage, but he also has elite play-making ability. Fred Davis, a 6-4, 247-pound Toledo native, played for Browns tight ends coach Jon Embree, who held the same job with the Redskins in 2010.
The Browns need a starting tight end to replace free agent Benjamin Watson. They signed former Carolina Panthers tight end Gary Barnidge to a three-year deal reportedly worth $3.75 million, but he’ll likely continue to serve as a backup.
Former Oakland Raiders tight end Brandon Myers agreed to a deal with the New York Giants, USA Today reported. Former New York Jets tight end Dustin Keller signed a one-year deal reportedly worth $4.25 million with the Miami Dolphins on Friday.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at http://www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/browns.abj.
