Browns make $3.25 million decision on top-ten pick defensive wea.pon

The Cleveland Browns have decided to bring back a vital piece of their defense from the 2024-2025 season. Kevin Stefanski's team is coming off a dismal season that was plagued with quarterback uncertainty due to the play and health of starter Deshaun Watson. For a moment, it looked like Cleveland would clean house with its roster, especially when superstar defensive end Myles Garrett requested a trade. However, this saga ended a few days ago with Garrett re-signing as the franchise looks to become competitive again in a loaded AFC North.

According to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Browns are additionally bringing back linebacker Devin Bush. The 26-year-old has agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.25 million.

Devin Bush and Myles Garrett return to a Cleveland defense in need of a bounce-back year

While Devin Bush and certainly Myles Garrett were not disappointing, the Browns' defense underwhelmed last season. Cleveland gave up an average of 25.6 points per game, which ranked 27th in the NFL. It is important to take into account that the Browns' offense did not do the defense any favors and was among the worst units in the NFL.

Devin Bush was previously with the Steelers and Seahawks before joining Cleveland in 2024. The former top-ten pick in the 2019 NFL Draft recorded 76 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack, and three passes defended last season. That total tackles stat ranked fourth on the roster. Bush will look to be a key contributor on the Browns' rise back up the AFC North ladder.

The pressure is on Kevin Stefanski and the company going into the 2025-26 season. To be fair, the Browns' head coach has been the most successful leader of the organization this century. Stefanski has led this franchise to the playoffs in two of his five years, including Cleveland's first postseason win since 1994. Since that magical 2020, Stefanski has had to go through a lot of roster turnover over the years, particularly at the quarterback position.

In 2022, the Browns made the bold move of trading starting quarterback Baker Mayfield away to the Carolina Panthers and trading for embattled Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson. So far, this move has not panned out. Watson has looked like a shell of his Texans form to this point in Cleveland and has struggled with injuries during his tenure. Fortunately for Cleveland, the franchise has been able to restructure Deshaun's massive contract a few times to make itself more financially flexible.

Overall, bringing back Devin Bush is a wise move for the Browns. Cleveland has the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, meaning the franchise can select one of the top quarterbacks or potential game-breaking defensive players like Colorado's Travis Hunter or Penn State's Abdul Carter. As of now, it does look like a long way back to playoff contention for this franchise. However, Cleveland returning to the form it had two seasons ago is not entirely out of the question.