Getty Free agent DT Ndamukong Suh.
The Cleveland Browns are looking for a veteran defensive tackle and investigated signing veteran Ndamukong Suh prior to the draft.
The report of the Browns’ interest in Suh comes via Brad Stainbrook of the Orange and Brown Report.
“The Browns checked in on free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh before the draft, but nothing ultimately developed, per a league source,” Stainbrook tweeted on May 4.
The #Browns checked in on free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh before the draft, but nothing ultimately developed, per a league source.
The Browns also had an interest in Suh last season but weren’t able to get a deal done.
Suh is 36 years old but proved last season that he can still be a viable contributor, even in a smaller role. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles at the midway mark of last season and played on just over a third of their defensive snaps after his arrival. He garnered an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 64.2. He was especially good at stopping the run — a skill set the Browns would welcome to their youthful group.
Suh might look to have a similar plan to last season, getting to sit out training camp but still finding a home once the season begins. His contract with the Eagles last year was for just $750,000, per Spotrac. But money isn’t an issue for Suh, who has made over $168 million in his career.
Browns Inked DT Dalvin Tomlinson to Deal in Free Agency
The Browns needed to address their deficiencies at defensive tackle this offseason and did so by signing Dalvin Tomlinson to a four-year, $57 million deal with $27.5 million guaranteed.
Over the course of his career — which spans six seasons with the New York Giants from 2017 to 2020 and the Minnesota Vikings from 2021 to 2022 — Tomlinson has started all 93 games he has played in. During his most recent season with the Vikings, he started in 13 games and recorded 42 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and forced a fumble.
The Browns defense was gashed on the ground by their opponents last season, which in turn exposed other parts of the unit. Tomlinson is taking pride in being the solution for the Browns to help stop the run.
“As a defensive lineman, I feel like going into each season there is always a lot of pressure to stop the run because if you can’t stop the run, you will never get to pass rush,” Tomlinson said in his introductory press conference. “Just want to come in and help everybody across the whole front so we can be one unit up front to stop the run as much as possible.”
The spot next to Tomlinson on the defensive line is still a question. The Browns brought in Trysten Hill and Maurice Hurst in free agency to compete for spots in the rotation. Fourth-year DT Jordan Elliott is penciled in as a potential starter, while Tommy Togiai, Perrion Winfrey and rookie Siaki Ika will also compete.
Jim Schwartz Wants Siaki Ika to be a ‘Ferrari’
The Browns added Ika in the draft and he’ll be a big body in the middle that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz can work with. Ika comes in at 335 pounds and is the heaviest player on the Browns roster but Schwartz wants him to function like a Ferrari.
“To be honest, I don’t know what it means,” Ika joked after being drafted. “I will do whatever he wants me to do. I will be a Ferrari. I will be a Chevy, if you want me to be. Probably means just growing up, becoming a pro. Definitely going to start looking at myself as a Ferrari now.”
The Browns made Ika the No. 98 overall pick. He tallied 49 tackles and 4.5 over his final two seasons at Baylor and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season.