Cleveland Browns: 6 players who might not return in 2023
Cleveland Browns player who might not return in 2023 No. 5: Sione Takitaki – Linebacker
Over the past three seasons, Sione Takitaki has contributed solidly for the Browns. He has shown signs of being able to step up when needed, but it isn’t always consistent. He was a third-round pick back in 2019, which is a significant thing to mention.
Stefanski and Berry were hired in January of 2020, so any player drafted before they took over could be the ones to be cut or not retained. That isn’t a sure thing by any means, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Another thing that could potentially see Takitaki needing to look for a new football home is the fact that he will turn 27-years old on June 8. That could be something that prohibits Berry from re-signing Takitaki but would allow him to acquire a younger player in the draft.
In 2021, Takitaki racked up 44 tackles, five for loss, two quarterback hits, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. That’s solid, but if he wants to return in 2023, he needs to contribute just a bit more when he’s in.
Cleveland Browns player who might not return in 2023 No. 4: Ronnie Harrison Jr. – Safety
When the Browns traded for safety Ronnie Harrison Jr., he made an instant impact on that 2020 team He had a great start and then had some issues with injuries, missing 10 games in the two years he’s been in Cleveland.
He re-signed with the Browns on a one-year deal worth a little over $1 million. There wasn’t really a huge market for him, so a reunion makes a ton of sense, especially if he can fuse his 2020 and 2021 seasons together.
In his two seasons with the Browns, the former third-round pick out of Alabama has racked up two interceptions (one pick-6), 10 passes defended, 199 tackles (132 solo), four tackles for loss, two sacks, and two QB hits.
In 2021, he compiled 20 more tackles than he did in 2020 (38 to 58). He had seven of his 10 passes defended in 2020 so that productivity dipped a bit, which is why it would be nice if he could combine those two seasons together in 2022.