Cleveland Browns improve linebacker depth with Adarius Taylor

The Cleveland Browns continue to make moves as they have come to terms with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Adarius Taylor

It wasn’t as splashy of a move as when the Cleveland Browns agreed to terms with defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, or when they traded for wideout Odell Beckham, Jr. but it was still a solid move. On Wednesday, the team came to terms with linebacker Adarius Taylor.

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers captain comes over after spending the past four seasons with the Bucs. Before that, he was on the Carolina Panthers for two years.

Finally playing outside of the NFC South, Taylor agreed with Cleveland on a two-year deal.

Formerly undrafted out of Florida Atlantic — after spending time at Eastern Arizona — Taylor continued to work at his craft and by 2018 he was a starter for Tampa Bay. He also turned in his best season as a pro, netting 60 tackles, one sack, and one interception.

He could be in line for a big role in the Cleveland defense following the release of Jamie Collins earlier in the offseason. With him gone, second year pro Genard Avery could slide on as a starting candidate, but Taylor may also have a shot at the spot.

Cleveland has landed some key players this offseason and increased their odds of winning the AFC North in 2019. While those splash plays are great, the key to their success could come down to filling out their roster with capable depth pieces.

Thats exactly what Taylor offers them here. It’s also unlikely that he will be their final piece at linebacker before the year kicks off.