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Something big is happening to the Cleveland Browns on the defensive end. I can feel it. GM Andrew Berry and the Browns usually do a masterful job of concealing their hand, but on that front it really feels like they’ve shown they want to make a splash with the DE starting point against Myles Garrett. .
Maybe I drink too many tea leaves, but it’s hard not to read all the signs from Berry & Co.
And it even goes back to the last offseason. Remember the repeated dating of Jadeveon Clowney? The Browns were fortunate enough to avoid that disappointment, but it wasn’t for lack of trying to sign the big DE ticket.
They tried again – allegedly – with JJ Watt. While no exact details have ever been confirmed, many reputable outlets had the Browns as one of the main teams trying to lure the ex-Texas star. He decided to go to Arizona instead, with a bigger contract than expected.
On Tuesday, they let Adrian Clayborn go. The No. 3 DE last year is 32 and hasn’t had a big impact on the Browns in his only season at Cleveland, but he was named a starter against Garrett. With Olivier Vernon a free agent on hold and also in the early stages of recovering from a torn Achilles, the dumping of Clayborn leaves only Porter Gustin and Joe Jackson in this spot.
Nothing against Gustin or Jackson, but it’s hard to envision either of them being more than situational subs in defense of a legitimate competitor. Erasing Clayborn from the books frees up an additional $ 3 million to spend on someone who can be an impact artist for a Browns team who have legitimate contender status.
The big question now is, what’s the move?
Is he a leading veteran free agent, someone like Carl Lawson of Cincinnati or Shaq Barrett of Tampa Bay? The Browns have the cap to make it happen and the allure of being a worthy landing point for a ring hunter.
Or will it be a draft pick? The pass-rush class doesn’t have any elite highlights, none that project so much above the overall 11-20 range. The Browns currently choose 26th overall. Berry and the Browns also have ammo to trade if they have a specific goal in mind.
It’s going to be fun to see how it goes and who ends up being the new starting defensive team. Expect this to be a meaningful move no matter which direction the Browns are turning. They laid out too many breadcrumbs for this trail not to turn out to be a great feast.
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