4 Cleveland Browns on the hot seat after free agency
By Randy Gurzi
3. Porter Gustin, EDGE
An undrafted free agent out of USC, Porter Gustin began his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints in 2019. When he didn’t make their roster, he had to sit on the open market for a few months before the Cleveland Browns came calling in November of that season.
He started out on the practice squad but once Myles Garrett was suspended and Olivier Vernon was hurt, Gustin got his chance. He appeared in six games and had 13 tackles and a sack in limited action.
This earned him more time in 2020 as he had three starts in 14 games. Gustin ended the year with 30 tackles and while he had no sacks, he did register seven quarterback pressures. Then in the postseason, he recorded an interception off of Ben Roethlisberger in their huge win.
Heading into 2021, Gustin now finds himself in a tough spot. He’s still behind Myles Garrett but the Browns also signed another former No. 1 overall pick in Jadeveon Clowney as well as Takkarist McKinley who is another former first-rounder.
On top of that, there’s Curtis Weaver who was on the injured reserve in 2020 after being claimed off waivers from Miami. Cleveland is also expected to still add a player in the draft as well. None of this bodes well for Gustin as he enters his third season, placing him firmly on the hot seat.