Cleveland Browns: Two players to let walk, cut, and re-sign in 2019
By Randy Gurzi
Let him walk: E.J. Gaines, CB
One move that John Dorsey made in 2018 free agency that seemed pretty smart was the one-year contract given to E.J. Gaines. He’s a quality NFL cornerback who had experience in Gregg Williams defense. They even got him at an incredibly reasonable price given his potential.
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However, there was a reason he came in lower than most starting caliber corners. That was because Gaines had a hard time staying on the field throughout his first four seasons as a pro. In fact, Gaines had never made it a full 16 games and missed all 16 games in the 2015 season while with the Rams.
In 2017, he was traded to the Buffalo Bills, and there he played in just 11 games — which was the same amount he played the year prior for the Rams. In Cleveland, he was set to prove he can stay healthy, which could have led to a payday in the offseason.
That never happened as Gaines once again missed the majority of the season. Concussions originally limited him and Gaines missed 10 games for the Browns and wasn’t much of a factor for them in the six games he did play. It’s apparent that the risk to bring him in wasn’t worth it and the Browns would be better letting him hit the free agent market this offseason.