Cleveland Browns make a pair of roster moves

The Cleveland Browns signed a pair of free agents on Monday, adding defensive lineman Jason Neill and offensive lineman Cory Tucker.

The Cleveland Browns made a pair of minor roster moves on Monday, signing linebacker Jason Neill and offensive lineman Cory Tucker.

To make room for the two new guys, the Browns released offensive lineman Conor Boffeli and linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat.

The team announced the transactions on its website.

Neill was originally signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Texas-San Antonio, where he set a school record with 14 career sacks. (That is career sacks, not the single-season record.) The 6-foot-2 and 266-pound Neill did most of his damage as a senior, posting 56 tackles, including 11 for loss, and 8.5 sacks.

He was particularly productive in the fourth quarter, according to Pro Football Focus, joining a list of names that are very familiar to Browns fans:

According to the Cowboys website, Neill gets the most out of his ability by working hard:

"Lines up as the left defensive end. Some stiffness in his up field rush. Has the power to hold the point of attack. Plays with his hands inside. Good leverage. Doesn’t have many pass rush move – tries to bull rush his man. Tries hard to get rid of his man quickly. Gets the edge through effort. Has trouble when he has to start-then-stop. Takes time to get going again. Tries to keep moving. Can make plays when the ball is right at him. Stays square to play his technique. Good with assignments. Plays with upper body power. Can walk his man back. Will work down the line to make the tackle."

Oddly enough, while Tucker played along the defensive line in college, the Browns listed him as a linebacker in announcing that they had signed him.

The 6-foot-4 and 315-pound Tucker was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Slippery Rock, where he started 48 games at right tackle and helped the Rock lead the nation in scoring with 45.2 points per game in 2015. He was a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award as a senior.

“The Packers drafted a few offensive linemen this year and there wasn’t a lot of room for him with their organization,” Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz told the school’s website. “We were pretty confident that he would get an opportunity to be brought into a training camp and we’re thrilled that the Browns have signed him. We’re very proud of the hard work and dedication Cory has shown. He’s a great representative of the Slippery Rock football program.”

It is interesting that the Browns would bring another right tackle on board with third-round draft pick Shon Coleman finally returning to the field and free-agent signee Alvin Bailey reportedly working hard to take the starter’s role. It is possible that Tucker is there as insurance in case Coleman’s surgically repaired knee gives him problems in training camp.

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As for the two players the Browns released, Bofelli spent two weeks last season on Cleveland’s practice squad, while Jeffcoat was a waiver pickup in April.