The first 4 Browns released by the new regime is a big message
By Chad Porto
The Cleveland Browns cut four players from the roster on Monday, but none of them were truly unexpected considering the team’s depth and need.
The Cleveland Browns have officially parted ways with four players who were brought in under the John Dorsey regime. They are cornerback T.J. Carrie, linebacker Adarious Taylor, tight end Demetrius Harris and guard Eric Kush.
Carrie, Harris, and Kush were Kansas City players with Dorsey and were brought in to be potential starters. Carrie ended up being a slot corner in nickel and dime packages after losing out to Greedy Williams. Kush, on the other hand, began the season as one of the five offensive linemen starters but lost his spot to former Buffalo Bill player Wyatt Teller after seven weeks.
Adarius Taylor was thought to be a potential starter for the team, but couldn’t find the field after spending time in Tampa Bay. Easily the most obvious cut was Harris, who was thrust into the starting lineup to try and provide relief in the passing game. As a tight end, he was expected to get some type of relief from the fact that David Njoku was out. Harris though rarely performed up to the positions need.
Of Kush, Harris, and Carrie combined, the three of them started in 19 games for the Browns. All three failed to catch up, or provide relief for past starters. Harris was supposed to replace Darren Fells as a backup, while Kush was seen as the replacement for Kevin Zeitler.
While most of these moves weren’t for much money, Taylor had one-year, $7 million left on his deal, while Harris had one-year, $3 million left on his; the move to cut Carrie will help free up cap. He signed a four-year, $31 million dollar deal to start the 2018 season, and still had two years left on the deal.
Expect more cuts to come over the course of the next few weeks as the team decides who to retain and who let go.