Getty Images Trevon Young makes a tackle.
The Cleveland Browns are moving on from defensive end Trevon Young, who spent last season on injured reserve.
Young was a sixth-round pick of the Rams in 2018 but only appeared in two games. He doesn’t have a tackle but registered a fumble recovery with LA.
#Browns have waived DE Trevon Young, they announced
Young was signed by the Browns during the 2019 season and signed a reserve/future contract for the 2020 season. He was then placed on the team’s injured reserve list after being waived.
Browns Still in Search of a Pass-Rusher
GettyFree agent Jadeveon Clowney.
The move comes as the team negotiates with former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. The Browns hosted Clowney this week for a meeting and there is reportedly “mutual interest” between the sides, per Ian Rapoport.
“The Browns wanted to sit with him, look him in the eye, talk to him and get to know him as a person. They wanted to see if this is something they wanted to do,” Rapoport said on NFL Network. “That happened yesterday and he has since gone home. There is mutual interest but we’ll see if the two sides end up doing anything. The fact that Clowney took his first free-agent visit — I believe ever — to Cleveland, puts the Browns in a very good position to sign him down the road.”
Clowney missed eight games last season with a knee injury, needing surgery to repair his left meniscus. Rather than putting up some big numbers to set up a massive free-agent deal, Clowney notched 19 tackles — four for a loss — and no sacks in a very down year.
However, if he can stay healthy, Clowney can be a real difference-maker playing opposite of Myles Garrett.
Browns Making Big Moves on Defense
The Browns have also moved on from veteran defensive end Adrian Clayborn this offseason. The move saved the Browns $3 million in cap space, but also removed their No. 3 defensive end from the depth chart. Clayborn had 12 tackles and 3.5 sacks last year and played a key role in the pass-rushing rotation with Garrett and Olivier Vernon both missing time.
The Browns have made plenty of big additions this offseason as well, adding safety John Johnson, cornerback Troy Hill, defensive end Takkarist McKinley, linebacker Anthony Harris and defensive tackle Malik Jackson.
If the team does not sign a player like Clowney, McKinley — a former top pick — will be depended on as the threat opposite Garrett. He’s on a one-year, prove-it deal worth $4.25 million, with $3.5 million fully guaranteed.
“We view Takk as a young edge player with a very high motor. He’s got speed, he has power and he has quickness. He really plays with his hair on fire,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters on Thursday. “He had a really strong start to his career, and I know the past couple years he’s dealt with a few injuries, but we think his playing style and skillset marries really nicely with what we look for out of our defensive ends in this system, and he’s a guy we think really has a ton of upside and fits nicely with what we want to do on the defensive line.”
Along with Garrett and McKinley, Porter Gustin, Cameron Malveaux, Curtis Weaver and Joe Jackson are other players the Browns currently have on the roster at defensive end.
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