Why did Cleveland Browns release Sheldon Richardson?

The Cleveland Browns made a surprising move on Friday to release Sheldon Richardson, but what was the real reason behind the move?

After the Cleveland Browns signed Jadeveon Clowney, there were indications that Sheldon Richardson could be asked to re-work his contract with the team. But a revised deal was never announced as we instead found out on Friday that the team released the veteran defensive tackle.

In an offseason full of moves that have been praised, this one had fans scratching their heads. Richardson — who signed a three-year, $36 million deal ahead of 2019 — did have a high cap hit this season, but he was also incredibly productive.

Easily the most consistent defensive tackle on the roster, Richardson had 126 tackles and 7.5 sacks over the past two seasons. The team also looked un-movable on the line with him, Andrew Billings, Jadeveon Clowney, and Myles Garrett as the projected starting four with Malik Jackson and Takk McKinley as the main rotational players.

So with all that, why did the Browns move on from Richardson?

What were the reasons for the move?

The reasoning was two-fold. One was easy to see — the money.

Richardson was set to count roughly $13 million against the cap and according to Nick Shook of NFL.com, they now save $11 million with this move. That means even after Clowney hit the books, Cleveland is sitting in much better shape with roughly $21 million in space according to OverTheCap.com.

With the draft around the corner, this gives them more than enough room to sign their entire rookie class without having to make any other concessions. It also gives them some wiggle room if they wanted to extend any players who are nearing the end of their contracts — such as Nick Chubb, Denzel Ward, and Baker Mayfield.

Ward and Mayfield each still have their fifth-year options, so extensions there are unlikely but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them look at what it would cost to keep Chubb around for a couple more years and this move could aid in that.

Outside of the money, the Browns actually have some other options. Sure, Richardson was a beast for them but the cupboard is far from bare. Not only will they have Andrew Billings on board as a one-technique but they have two capable players who can fill in as the three-tech where Richardson was set to play.

One is Jordan Elliott, their third-round pick from 2020 who is a product of Missouri just as Richardson is. Elliott flashed potential but had just 15 tackles on the season. Still, he showed enough to convince this coaching staff that he can contribute.

The other is Malik Jackson, a player who can start at the three-technique and has been a solid contributor for nine seasons in the NFL. He was injured for all but one game in 2019 due to a foot injury but came back in 2020 with 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Jackson is right around the same age as Richardson, meaning he’s a stop-gap player but the same could have been said for the outgoing defensive tackle who could start to slow down due to age. And back to the money part, Jackson’s cap hit is minuscule in comparison to Richardson’s.

Cleveland could also have their eyes on some help in the draft. This isn’t exactly a deep class at defensive tackle but there are some players who could fit — and wouldn’t cost more than a day two pick. Marlon Tuipulotu, Tommy Togiai, Jay Tufele, and Milton Williams are all names to watch in this regard.

In the end, this move wasn’t popular and it’s always hard to say goodbye to a good player who is still producing.

Having said that, it’s also understandable why the front office went the way they did — even if that doesn’t make it any easier to digest.