The ill-fated 2022 offseason, which saw the Browns going all in for 2023 and beyond, couldn't have turned out worse. Yes, the Browns ultimately made the playoffs on the dumb luck of injecting Joe Flacco into the starting lineup after a flurry of injuries to the quarterbacks on the roster. But, that season ultimately appears to have been a mirage.
In free agency of 2022, the Browns inked defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson to a 4-year, $57 million contract to lure him away from the Vikings. They needed help to shore up their run defense, and the 6'3", 310lb behemoth was one of the top run defenders available.
His role was never about getting after the quarterback, as he never totaled more than 3.5 sacks in a season. He was a space occupier, someone who freed up the Browns more athletic defensive linemen, like Myles Garrett, to get to the quarterback.
Now, the Browns are without his services.
Cleveland releasing Dalvin Tomlinson for one, self-inflicted reason
There is one reason the Browns are releasing Tomlinson: cap space. The kicking of the can down the road continues, as the Browns will be designating him a post June 1st cut, which is the only way they could gain any cap space from moving on from him. They will gain $6.4 million in cap space once the move is official, albeit after June 1st.
The issue with the Browns current playbook is, despite Tomlinson suiting up somewhere else in 2025, they will have to account for him on the 2026 salary cap. Nonetheless, there is a clear message emanating from Berea, this team has no interest in tanking, or taking their lumps in 2025.
Tomlinson performed admirably in his years with the Dawg Pound. He accumulated 54 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, and six sacks over two seasons. His departure will leave a massive void in the interior of the defensive line, that the Browns will likely need to address in free agency or the draft.
Some of the top interior defensive lineman still on the board as of day two of free agency include the Lions' Levi Onwuzurike, the Chargers' Teair Tart, the Falcons' Ta'Quon Graham, and the Buccaneers' Greg Gaines.
