Browns sign DT Taven Bryan

The Cleveland Browns joined the free agency fun on Monday afternoon by signing defensive tackle Taven Bryan.

It is a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $5 million, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

A first-round selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2018 NFL Draft, Bryan never lived up to that high of a selection in five seasons with the Jaguars. He played in 63 games, making 17 starts, with 86 tackles, five-and-a-half sacks and 25 quarterback hits while being on the field for less than half of Jacksonville’s defensive snaps.

The highlight of his 2021 season came in November when he sacked Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen twice in Jacksonville’s 9-6 victory over the Bills. That came just two weeks after Bryan was a healthy scratch for a game against the Miami Dolphins, so his time in Jacksonville could be characterized as a bit rocky.

The 6-foot-5 and 291-pound Bryan has the size and strength to play in the middle of the defensive line, but coaches in Jacksonville struggled to find a role for a player with a “limited repertoire of pass-rush moves,” according to Garry Smits of the Florida Times-Union.

On the Browns, Bryan will join a defensive tackle rotation that currently includes Sheldon Day, Jordan Elliott, and Tommy Togiai, so it is safe to say that general manager Andrew Berry is not finished addressing the position.