A day after landing Steinbach, the Browns announced the signing of LB Antwan Peek from the Houston Texans. Personally, I love this signing. One, it could be the best "sleeper" signing of free agency. Second, Peek is a fellow alumnus of my alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, and I've been a fan of his for years. Peek's signing reunited him with defensive coordinator Todd Gratham, who coached him while with the Texans.Peek has great speed, quickness, and athletism. In fact, in high school he was a two-sport star in basketball and as a wide receiver in football. He still holds the Bearcats' career records for sacks (27.5) and tackles for loss (56) despite being double teamed his last two seasons. His draft prospect profile can be found here.
Peek was drafted in the 3rd round of 2003 by the Texans and spent his first two seasons battling nagging injuries and learning the transition from a 4-3 college DE to a 3-4 pro LB. His third season (2005) he began to show his potential as he started every game and recorded 46 tackles including 6 sacks. Last year the Texans switched to the 4-3 and Peek saw very little playing time.
| Year | Games | Tackles | Sacks |
| 2003 | 10 | 25 | 1 |
| 2004 | 14 | 20 | 2 |
| 2005 | 16 | 46 | 6 |
| 2006 | 11 | 14 | 1 |
Peek should be able to contribute to the Browns immediately. He knows the 3-4, knows Todd Gratham, and has the skills to excel as a edge pass-rusher. He could be the eventual replacement for Willie McGinest, and could even challenge him for playing time this year. If Peek can pick up his development where he left off in 2005 he could prove to be a nice complement to Kamerion Wimbley on the opposite side.
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