Browns Looking to Poach Former Steelers First-Round Pick in Free Agency
With Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker gone, the Cleveland Browns have lost their No. 2 and No. 3 linebackers from last season, who accounted for a combined 109 tackles.
This isn't a glaring need in free agency, especially after the team signed Jordan Hicks, but there's still room to bring in some more help at linebacker.
And the latest linebacker Cleveland is meeting with is a former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick.
Free-agent linebacker Devin Bush, the former first-round pick who played for the Steelers and Seahawks, is visiting today with the Cleveland Browns.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2024
Browns News: Devin Bush Making Free Agent Visit
Devin Bush will meet with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday to discuss a potential free agency signing. Bush played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2023, but before that spent his first four seasons as the Browns' rival, starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bush has never really lived up to the hype that he received as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he'll still only be 26 years old when the 2024 season kicks off, and the Browns may believe they can unlock some of his potential.
The Seahawks only gave Bush 3 starts in his 13 games last year, and he had a pedestrian 37 tackles. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave him an overall grade of just 57.5, which is significantly lower than what Takitaki (68.7) and Walker (71.1) earned.
The AFC North promises to again be one of the NFL's most competitive divisions in 2024, and the idea of poaching a former player of a division rival is always an interesting one. But that's about where the appeal of this signing ends.
Bush wouldn't be an expensive signing after his poor 2023 season (and poor 2022 season before that), so it's hard to say it would be a bad move. Even if he just competes for a roster spot in training camp and ends up getting cut, that won't likely put the Browns on the hook for much money.
But this wouldn't be any sort of needle-mover. If Bush somehow turned things around and finally hit his stride in Cleveland and developed into a solid NFL player that would be great, but don't hold your breath.
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