Cleveland Browns to release safety Derrick Kindred
The Cleveland Browns have a hole at safety after trading away Jabrill Peppers for Odell Beckham Jr. Now, the Browns will likely have to find a starter outside of the confines of Berea, as they’re set to release safety Derrick Kindred later today.
On Monday morning, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Cleveland Browns would be cutting Derrick Kindred very soon.
The safety was set to be a starter in Cleveland come 2019, but that would never fully materialize for him, as he’ll be sent to waivers as early as today.
As Rapoport says, he’ll likely draw a good amount of interest not he waiver wire.
The #Browns are expected to waive safety Derrick Kindred today, source said. He was slated to be a starter. Cleveland had shopped Kindred, who was due more than $2M in salary. He should generate considerable interest on waivers.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 1, 2019
Now it’s time to don our tinfoil hats, because there are really only a couple of reasons general manager John Dorsey should have made this move. First, Kindred was not one of Dorsey’s preferred players. A product of the Sashi Brown era, the 25-year old was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Despite being a fine product, Kindred never fully panned out or reached his full potential in Cleveland. As a fourth-rounder, he was a value pick, and the Browns did get some use out of him with two career interceptions and 148 total tackles. Moving onto one wilder theory, the Browns could be clearing space to make some kind of splash at the safety position.
The Browns have been tied to both former Chiefs safety Eric Berry and former Cardinals safety Tre Boston. Both would be a huge upgrade over Kindred in the safety department, even with an injury history like Berry’s. Clearing over two million in cap space also provides a bit of relief for the Browns, just weeks out from taking on Odell Beckham Jr.’s hefty contract.
Next. Early April 7-Round mock. dark
Whether the Browns start a rookie safety next year, or find one on the free agency market soon, they have a good chance to upgrade from Kindred next season. Damarious Randall is a fine safety, and pairing him with either Eric Berry or Tre Boston could make a great tandem for years to come in Cleveland’s defensive secondary.