One and Done: First year Browns players that didn’t earn a second season

The Cleveland Browns didn’t have the best 2022 season as they finished with a 7-10 mark and last-place honors in the AFC North. While there were some good moves made — including trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver Amari Cooper as well as drafting cornerback Martin Emerson — there were other moves made that didn’t go as planned.

Cleveland has struggled to find the right players to fit into their defense of late but now the organization parted ways with defensive coordinator Joe Woods and brought in veteran coach Jim Schwartz to help build up the defense again. The Browns have been a mess with stopping the run as they ranked at the bottom of the NFL standings in that department. Part of that issue has been because the Browns haven’t drafted well nor found decent free agents at the defensive line position to make serious progress.

Let’s first take a look at a few of those free agents that won’t be back on defense and then a couple of offensive player free agents that will not be back in Cleveland after brief stints.

Browns DT, Taven Bryan

A former Round 1 pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018, Taven Bryan, signed a one-year deal for $4 million with the Browns during the last free agency market season. He had never been a regular starter on the defensive line until he came to Cleveland while he had a couple of moments, including a few sacks, he only finished with 26 tackles on the season and never had one of those “wow” moments where you were like, “well where’s that player been all this time”.

The Browns had a really poor defensive line unit that could never stop the run a year ago. With the arrival of Jim Schwartz, he will make it a priority to upgrade that line, whether that be in free agency or the NFL Draft. Because of this, Bryan will likely look to move on as it doesn’t seem that the Browns will bring him back.