Next 3 players that Cleveland Browns could release
By Clay Goodwin
2. Morgan Burnett, Safety
Morgan Burnett joined the Browns last season to help a young secondary. He played and started eight games for Cleveland last season, and did a decent job when playing. He didn’t stand out, and made some mistakes, but was not terrible. He did, unfortunately, have a brutal injury against Pittsburgh Steelers when he tore his Achilles.
Last season, Burnett was only really decent in the run game, and made very little impact in pass defense, if any at all. He was a veteran who filled a void in the defense, but he was not a key playmaker for the defense.
At 31 years old and rehabbing from an Achilles injury, there is not much confidence that Burnett can be an effective player. His play is likely to decline even more and could be a liability in the secondary. If cut, Burnett could save the Browns just under $3.5 million.
Because safety is a position of need for Cleveland, the front office will likely add young players in the draft or free agency, which makes Burnett more likely to be on the chopping block.
What he can bring to the table now is not worth his paycheck. The new regime has no ties to Burnett and will likely realize it would be smart to let him go.