BEREA -- The Cleveland Browns decided to move on from one of their veteran edge rushers by releasing defensive end**Ogbonnia Okoronkwo**. The team made the announcement on Thursday morning.
Ogbo Okoronkwo (Photo: Getty, 247Sports)
The Browns signed Okoronkwo to a three-year contract for $19 million, including, $12.5 million guaranteed, when they signed him as an unrestricted free agent from the Texans. The Browns were hoping that Okoronkwo would be the edge rusher to pair with Myles Garrett as the Browns starters at defensive end.
The Browns traded for Pro Bowl edge rusher Za'Darius Smith before the 2023 season and have drafted Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire since.
Okoronkwo signed with the Browns after a strong second half of the 2022 season with the Texans. He had five sacks in the final six games after becoming a starter.
However, Okoronkwo did not live up to his projections with the Browns and his contract. In 2024, Okoronkwo had just three sacks in 16 games, including five starts in 2024. He finished the season with 23 tackles, six quarterback hits and five tackles for loss. He had 4.5 sacks in 2023, his first season with the Browns. He missed the final three games of the 2023 season with a torn pectoral muscle, but returned for the playoff game before having surgery in the offseason.
Overall, he appeared in 30 games the past two seasons and recorded 52 tackles, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
In six seasons, Okoronkwo has 17 sacks in his career and 31 tackles for loss.
Okoronkwo was in the final year of his three-year contract for $6.0 million, which was not guaranteed. According to Overthecap.com, the move will save the Browns $3.366 million on the salary cap.
The OBR's salary cap specialist, Jack Duffin, has suggested all offseason that Okoronkwo would be a cut candidate.
To replace Okoronkwo on the roster, the Browns signed kicker Andre Szmyt.
Szmyt (6-0, 200) is officially in his first NFL season out of Syracuse. Originally signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Szmyt spent part of the 2024 season on the Browns' practice squad and was a member of the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL.
The Browns had Szmyt on the roster in the offseason program and OTAs but released him. He will now join Dustin Hopkins in training camp and the preseason for competition. The Browns have voiced their confidence in Hopkins returning to the form that he displayed in 2023 when he had a strong season which included being 8-of-8 on field goal attempts from 50 or more yards.
More to come...