Browns Issue Firm Message on Perrion Winfrey’s Future

Getty Cleveland Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam talks with general manager Andrew Berry.

The Cleveland Browns are still weighing their options when it comes to defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey but his roster spot is far from secure.

Winfrey was a fourth-round pick of the Browns in 2022 and there was a hope he could turn into a mid-round gem and be a rotational piece for Cleveland. However, that never panned out, with Winfrey dealing with some maturity issues that made him a healthy scratch for a handful of games. He also injured himself while riding a scooter, forcing him to miss some time.

Winfrey already wasn’t on firm ground with the Browns but an arrest on a misdemeanor assault charge involving a woman he was dating on April 12 has complicated his future in Cleveland.

Cleveland.com reported on April 21 that “Winfrey is wearing an electronic monitoring device, and has a protective order against him that stipulates he must not come within 200 feet of Brianna Mack or anyone in her family.”

The Browns have not made any decision yet but are doing an internal investigation into Winfrey’s situation.

“We haven’t made any changes in terms of his roster status,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said Thursday. “We’ll deal with that matter internally and make the appropriate decision for the organization.”

Browns Not Willing to Go Into Detail on Winfrey’s Situation

Berry noted that there are “expectations” the team holds players to but did not want to comment much further on Winfrey’s situation.

“That’s a pending legal matter,” Berry said. “I won’t comment specifically on that other than to say that Perrion understands what our expectations for are for all players, whether they’re on the field in our building or away from the building. But with it being a pending legal matter, I’m not going to comment too much on it.”

The Browns have a reputation for not divulging much publicly when it comes to issues with their players. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski delivered a similar line to Berry  on Winfrey’s situation early last week but also stressed their talks with players about being safe when they’re away from the facility.

“As you can imagine, we constantly talk to our players about making great decisions outside our building,” Stefanski said. “That will never change. It’s something that will remind our guys now in the offseason program. I’ll remind them when the offseason program ends and we send everybody off for a brief respite before training camp. You’re constantly talking to your guys about being safe.”

Browns Expected to Add to Defensive Line

GettyMyles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns

The Browns will continue to add bodies to their defensive line ahead of training camp. If the team decides to part ways with Winfrey, they’ll likely target a veteran tackle who can eat up some reps in the rotation.

But there’s also a need for depth at defensive end. The Browns are only carrying five on the roster currently, with Myles Garrett and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo headlining the group.

“I would expect us to add more,” Berry said when asked about having just five DEs on the roster. “I mean, we are going to get to 90 eventually. I can’t say that it is going to be on draft weekend or in May or in August, but I would expect us to add to that room.”

The Browns defense is now under the guidance of veteran coordinator Jim Schwartz, who has been known to get the most out of his defensive line. Having capable depth will be key for Cleveland moving forward.