The Browns improved their defensive line with two key moves

The Cleveland Browns have added Taven Bryan and Chase Winovich

The Cleveland Browns made some moves over the last 24 hours to bolster their defensive front four. They signed former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Taven Bryan and then traded Mack Wilson to the New England Patriots for OLB/DE Chase Winovich. The moves come after an offseason where they’ve all but moved on from three defensive starters from the line.

Bryan will likely start for the Browns, as Jordan Elliot and Tommy Togiai have been anything but reliable in their short careers. Bryan had some successful years in Jacksonville but wasn’t a consistent starter despite being a former first-round pick in 2018. He’ll likely have to compete with Togiai, Elliot, and Sheldon Day for starts and reps.

Winovich, on the other hand, was a third-round pick in 2019. The Michigan product was something I was personally very high on and in his first two years in New England was among the league leaders in win-rate for pass-rushing. For a time in 2020, he actually had the same win rate as Myles Garrett. He’s a hybrid player, who would be an outside linebacker in a 3-4 but in a 4-3 would play defensive end, which is likely what he’ll do with the Browns.

He could remain an option to play linebacker in defensive-back heavy sets, but that remains to be seen.

The Cleveland Browns still need help at those positions in the draft.

Just because the Browns landed Taven Bryan and Chase Winovich over the last 24 hours doesn’t mean that the team isn’t still in need of more help the Browns should likely consider a defensive tackle in the draft still, as there’s no guarantee they have three reliable tackles at the moment and still need to decide on what to at defensive end. The team has no other ends under contract other than Myles Garrett and Curtis Weaver. The latter of whom is in the last year of his deal.