Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

Cleveland Browns: 6 best one-year wonders since the 1999 return

By Chad Porto

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 08: Running back Trent Richardson #33 of the Cleveland Browns on the bench during the game against the Miami Dolphins at First Energy Stadium on September 8, 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 08: Running back Trent Richardson #33 of the Cleveland Browns on the bench during the game against the Miami Dolphins at First Energy Stadium on September 8, 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 14: Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals tries to avoid the rush by Paul Kruger #99 of the Cleveland Browns during the game at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 14, 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Browns 30-0. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 14: Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals tries to avoid the rush by Paul Kruger #99 of the Cleveland Browns during the game at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 14, 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Browns 30-0. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Paul Kruger

Paul Kruger was arguably the best player on the Baltimore Ravens team that won the SuperBowl in 2012. He led the team in sacks during the regular season with nine and added another four and a half in the playoffs. He was easily the biggest defensive playmaker on that team, which included Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Granted both men were about to retire but still. Any time you can show up two of the best ever, that’s not something to take lightly.

After Lewis retired, Reed left for the Houston Texans, and the Ravens were left to re-build defensively. Surely the Ravens would break the bank to bring back Kruger, right? Nope, at the time the Ravens had around $11 million in free money and Kruger was already looking at offers that started around the $9-10 million mark. Kruger was all but gone.

Enter the Cleveland Browns, who gave him a $40 million, five-year contract to join the team. It was a deal that Kruger could never live up to. In his first and third year with the Browns, Kruger put up four and a half and two and a half sacks per season respectively. Kruger wouldn’t see a fourth or fifth season.

Yet, in season number two, Kruger put up 11 sacks, breaking double-digits for the only time in his career during the regular season. He also posted career-high in total tackles (53) and solo tackles (36). It seemed like Kruger had found his mojo. Yet, the very next year all of his stats dropped off drastically.

He was so bad that the Browns eventually cut him to start the 2016 campaign. He never lived up to his lofty contract and remains one of the most maligned signings in recent memory.

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