Most observers believe Matt Roth wanted -- and needed -- a fresh start.

The controversial linebacker will get that fresh start in Cleveland.

The lowly Browns, 1-9 and searching for a new direction, have been awarded Roth off waivers. Roth, who contributed just four tackles and no sacks in four games since coming off the Dolphins' injured reserve, was cut free on Tuesday in "a football decision," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said Wednesday.

"I won't go into the reasons behind it," Sparano said. "I'll just tell you it was a football decision, and like any of the football decisions we make here, they're very well thought out. We go over them in great detail. It was a football decision we felt like we had to make."

Asked if the coaching staff considered moving Roth back to defensive end, his former position and a problem area in light of injuries to Lionel Dotson and Jason Ferguson (which could cause Randy Starks to play more nose tackle), Sparano said no.

"That really wasn't discussed at that time, to be honest with you," Sparano said. "We made a football decision that needed to be made at the time, and that's what we did."

The Dolphins are believed to have received at least some trade interest in Roth before the Oct. 20 deadline, but he was kept around for insurance purposes with Joey Porter battling a hamstring problem that later spread to his right knee.

Holding Roth through that deadline and cutting him loose now -- rather than re-signing him as a restricted free agent and trading him this offseason -- likely cost the Dolphins at least a late-round draft pick.

Roth, who was playing every second or third series in relief of Jason Taylor at strong-side linebacker in recent weeks, received praise from Sparano after a one-tackle showing in a 14-play outing against Tampa Bay on Nov. 15.

"I will be honest: He was really impressive on some of those plays," Sparano said the Monday after that game. "Not all of them, but some of them. ... If you have players that you think you can get something out of that can bring something different to the table, you have to be able to use them."

Asked again about that game against the Bucs and his previously positive words regarding Roth, Sparano admitted Roth "played a good game" but cautioned against reading too much into it.

"He went out there and he did a good job," Sparano said. "One game doesn't make or break anybody in this league certainly. He did play a good game and that's it. This is a different time. It's a week later, and we needed to make a decision and that was the decision that we made."

Roth, 27, ranked second on the Dolphins with five sacks in 2008. A second-round draft pick out of Iowa in 2005, he spent his first three years in the league as a defensive end, averaging 34 tackles and totaling 7.5 sacks from that spot.

SERIES HISTORY
88th regular-season meeting. Dolphins lead series 52-34-1. Dolphins are going for their 21st season sweep of the series after beating the Bills 38-10 in South Florida on Oct. 4.

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