The Giants signed Adams on Friday.
The 28-year-old veteran linebacker has 85 games of experience under his belt. Adams played in all 17 games for the Browns last season and has also spent time with the Bears and Colts during his six-year career. He's a capable depth linebacker who excels on special teams.
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Browns' Justin Hardee: Finds new home
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Hardee signed a one-year contract with the Browns on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Hardee has been a special teams contributor for the Jets each of the past seasons and made a Pro Bowl appearance in 2022. Considering he's only played one defensive snap in the last three seasons, he'll likely fill the same role in Cleveland.
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Browns' Rodney McLeod: Inks new deal with Cleveland
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The Browns re-signed McLeod (biceps) on a one-year deal Saturday, per The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The veteran safety is back with Cleveland after spending his 2023 campaign with the Browns. McLeod appeared in just 10 games (five starts) last season due to a biceps injury, but he was fairly productive when on the field, logging 29 total tackles and defending one pass. The 33-year-old also contributed on special teams with 108 special teams snaps in 2023, and he's expected to compete for a similar role this offseason.
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Browns' Devin Bush: Coming to Cleveland
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The Browns signed Bush to a one-year deal Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 2019 first-round pick spent the first four years of his career with the Steelers and will be coming back to the AFC North after signing with Cleveland on Thursday. Bush played 10 or fewer defensive snaps in seven of his 13 games last season for the Seahawks, but he still recorded 37 total tackles, including five tackles for loss. The Michigan product will likely have the chance to compete for a starting spot in the Browns' linebacker corps this offseason.
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Duron Harmon: Enters free agency
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Harmon, set to hit free agency, recorded 16 tackles, including 1.0 sacks, two passes defensed and one interception in four regular-season games for the Browns in 2023.
Harmon was a nice November pickup for Cleveland and played key December snaps when the Browns locked up their postseason berth. The 33-year-old has tons of NFL experience, including three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. He'll find a home in 2024 if he wants to continue playing.
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Browns' D'Anthony Bell: Finishes 2023 strong
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Bell recorded 28 tackles, four passes defensed, two interceptions and a forced fumble over 17 regular-season games in 2023.
Bell was mostly a special-teams contributor but needed more on the defense after Grant Delpit (groin) was unavailable from Week 15 on through the playoffs. Most of his production came in those final weeks of the regular season, as the Browns secured a postseason ticket. Entering his third NFL season, Bell's work on special teams is enough to earn him a spot in 2024, and his play while Delpit was out showed he's up to task on defense.
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Browns' Ogbonnia Okoronkwo: Delivers in first year
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Okoronkwo recorded 31 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one pass defensed and a fumble recovery over 14 regular-season games for the Browns in 2023.
Okoronkwo parlayed a strong 2022 season with the Texans into a three-year deal in Cleveland, and the 28-year-old edge rusher gave maximum effort when not sidelined by injury. He showed that grit in returning from a December pectoral injury that initially appeared to be of the season-ending variety. Okoronkwo maintained a spot in the rotation at defensive end along with Myles Garrett and Za'Darius Smith. It looks like the Browns hit in Year 1 of the deal, and Okoronkwo should remain part of the edge rotation in 2024.
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49ers' Jordan Elliott: Signing with San Francisco
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The 49ers are slated to sign Elliott to a two-year, $10 million contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
A third-round pick in 2020 by the Browns, Elliott spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as a starter for Cleveland. Across 17 games (14 starts) last year, Elliott recorded 21 tackles (14 solo) and 2.5 sacks on the team's talented defensive line. In San Francisco, Elliott will help to replace the snaps lost by Arik Armstead, who is expected to be released this week.
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Browns' Shelby Harris: Inking new deal
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Harris is slated to re-sign with the Browns on a two-year, $9 million contract, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Harris joined the Browns last March on a one-year deal and was able to earn a two-year contract this time around. The 32-year-old operated as a rotational piece on the interior of Cleveland's defensive line last season and should hold a similar role in 2024.
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Browns' Sam Kamara: Staying with Cleveland
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Kamara has agreed to sign his Exclusive Rights Free Agent tender to stay with the Browns, Brad Stainbrook of 247Sports.com reports.
The ERFA tender is for players with two or fewer accrued seasons in the NFL. Kamara has played in three games and on 79 defensive snaps with Cleveland over the last two campaigns.
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Patriots' Sione Takitaki: Signing with New England
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Takitaki has agreed to sign a two-year, $6.5 million deal with the Patriots that could be worth as much as $10.3 million, Mark Daniels of MassLive reports.
The fifth-year pro started seven of the Browns' 15 games in 2023 and finished with 66 tackles. Takitaki spent his first five seasons with Cleveland and started 36 of the 72 contests he played in.
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Texans' Mike Ford: Signs deal with Houston
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Ford and the Texans agreed on a two-year, $4.5 million contract Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Ford compiled a career-high 28 tackles, adding two pass defenses, including an interception, and a fumble recovery over 16 games with the Browns in 2023. He'll look to build off of that production as a depth option at cornerback with the Texans in 2024.
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Browns' Maurice Hurst: Hanging around Cleveland
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Hurst and the Browns agreed on a one-year, $3.2 million contract Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Hurst finished the 2023 campaign on injured reserve with a pectoral injury, but prior to going down, he recorded 22 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, while also adding an interception among three pass defenses and a fumble recovery over 13 games in his first season with the Browns. The 28-year-old will likely operate as a primary backup option behind Dalvin Tomlinson and Jordan Elliott on Cleveland's defensive line again in 2024.
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Browns' Za'Darius Smith: Re-signing with Cleveland
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Smith is set to re-sign with the Browns on Wednesday on a two-year, $23.5 million deal that could be worth as much as $25 million, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Smith was traded to the Browns by the Vikings last May and went on to record 27 tackles, including 5.5 sacks, three passes defensed and one forced fumble in 2023. The veteran also played on 59 percent of the team's defensive snaps.
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Dolphins' Anthony Walker: To sign with Dolphins
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Miami plans to sign Walker to a one-year contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Walker missed the final stretch of the 2023 season due to a knee injury that landed him on Cleveland's injured reserve list, but he's now set to get a fresh start with the Dolphins in 2024. Miami is also in line to bring aboard Jordyn Brooks at linebacker next year.
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Browns' Greg Newsome: Eligible for extension
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Newsome is entering his fourth year and is extension-eligible, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports. He finished 2023 with 49 tackles, 14 passes defensed, two interceptions, one touchdown and 0.5 sacks over 14 games.
Newsome made some big plays for the Browns in 2023, including a pick-six in a Week 10 win over the Ravens, but there were also a few disappointing games -- most notably, the 45-14 playoff loss to Houston. He allowed four catches on five targets and was unable to track down tight end Dalton Schultz on a 37-yard touchdown in that contest. Pro Football Focus rated him 18th of 20 defenders in the game. As the third member in what is considered the strongest part of the Browns' defense, Newsome should play a key role as a slot cornerback regardless of whether the team picks up his fifth-year option.
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Browns' Juan Thornhill: Browns want more in 2024
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Thornhill posted 54 tackles and one pass defensed over 11 regular-season games in 2023.
Thornhill had a noticeable drop-off in production from his days with the Chiefs. Both the team and the player expected more after Thornhill signed a three-year deal a year ago, and the Browns need more of his previous version this coming season. There was a nagging calf injury, and he may never have been completely healthy. Thornhill is expected to rejoin Grant Delpit (groin) on the back end of the Browns' defense.
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Browns' Grant Delpit: Another strong season
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Delpit (groin) recorded 80 tackles, seven for a loss, four quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, three passes defensed and one interception over 13 games in 2023.
It was another productive year for Delpit as the last line of Cleveland's defense. His season was cut short by the groin injury, which occurred at a time when he was the club's leader in tackles; he was on pace to post a second consecutive 100-tackle season. The three-year contract extension he signed in December, which ironically occurred on the day of his season-ending injury, indicates how the organization feels about the player.
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Browns' Za'Darius Smith: Enters free agency
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Smith will enter the free agency period Wednesday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports. He recorded 27 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three passes defensed and one forced fumble over 16 regular-season games last year.
Smith was a valued addition in 2023. He started at defensive end in every game Cleveland's regulars played and was on the field for 59 percent of the snaps. Smith ranked among the top 10 in pass-rushing grade, per Pro Football Focus, and can play multiple schemes. There appears to still be plenty left in the tank of the 31-year-old Smith (he'll turn 32 in September), who should draw plenty of attention, including from the team he played for 2023.
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Browns' Denzel Ward: Restructures deal for cap space
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Ward and the Browns agreed to a restructured contract Wednesday, clearing $11.36 million in cap space, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The transaction involves a simple conversion of salary into a bonus to give Cleveland additional cap space. Ward has four years left on a five-year, $100.5 million extension he signed in 2022. Ward appeared in 13 games in 2023, recording a career-low 34 tackles (30 solo), 11 pass breakups and two interceptions.
