Browns need to cut losses and release Perrion Winfrey

When the Cleveland Browns were able to land Perrion Winfrey in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the word "steal" began to make the rounds on social media. Fans saw a pass-rushing specialist from Oklahoma who was overly excited to be joining the Dawg Pound.

But as is often the case when a big name slides in the draft, there were reasons for Winfrey's drop. At first, it seemed as though it was just a lack of commitment and maturity.

During his rookie season, he was benched for a couple of games and sent home for disciplinary reasons. Myles Garrett even called him out, essentially saying he needs to learn to be a professional.

Now well into the offseason, it's clear that Winfrey hasn't done much maturing. On Wednesday, it was reported that he was hit with a misdemeanor assault charge. While he deserves his day in court, the Browns should also realize this is a pattern that's only going to continue.

Now is the time for the Browns to pull the plug

While it's true Winfrey has the potential to be a productive player, and was improving as the 2022 season came to a close, he's also not good enough to overlook the giant red flags. And with an offseason dedicated to fixing their depth at defensive tackle, this is the time to make a statement and move on.

Cleveland added Dalvin Tomlinson, Trysten Hill, and Maurice Hurst in the offseason. They're also expected to bring in at least one more player in the draft. Throw in Jordan Elliott and Tommy Togiai, and there are more than enough players capable of producing what Winfrey can.

In addition to the new faces, there's also a new defensive coordinator in Jim Schwartz. Not only will he be trying to improve the talent but he also inherits a defense that was accused of not having a strong enough commitment last year.

Cutting one of the culprits from 2022 who just proved he's not trying too hard to change could send the right kind of message to the rest of this defense.