Cleveland Browns: 3 Free agents they can still sign
By Randy Gurzi
Kony Ealy, DE, New York Jets
With Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah as starters, the Cleveland Browns aren’t hurting for defensive ends. They also recently signed Chris Smith away from the Cincinnati Bengals and there’s Carl Nassib who has 5.5 sacks in his first two seasons in the NFL.
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It’s a position of great importance though, so the smart teams keep looking to add players there that can contribute. That could lead the Browns to kick the tires on Kony Ealy, the edge rusher most recently of the New York Jets.
A second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2014, the Missouri product was part of a trade before the 2017 NFL Draft. The Panthers sent him to the New England Patriots for what amounted to a move up eight spots in the draft on day two.
Ealy never made the Pats roster and was claimed by the Jets. There he was played in a system that wasn’t a great fit for him as New York runs a 3-4 defense. He finished with just 14 tackles and one sack in 15 games.
The 275-pound pass rusher is just 26-years old and should be able to regain the form he had in Carolina where he had 14 sacks in three seasons as a rotational rusher. His addition would surely be good for the depth in Cleveland.