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According to a report from Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, the Cleveland Browns are preparing to sign pass rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to a one-year deal worth $4.75 million. Shoyinka played his last four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tryon was drafted with the first round picks of the Bucs after they won the Super Bowl in 2021 out of the University of Washington. An athletic edge rusher with prototypical size at 6'5" 260 pounds, Tryon would go on to register 15 sacks in four years.
The Bucs went ahead and let Tryon walk as he was unable to address their pass rush woes. The Bucs defense was heavily reliant on the blitz to create pressure under Todd Bowles the last few years.
For the Browns, Tryon looks to be a rotational option. He registered 539 snaps this past season, recording a pass rush win rate of 8.9 percent. In true passing situations, that number increased to 13 percent. He registered a total of 24 pressures this past season at a rate of 8.7%. None of these numbers are terribly impressive, but the Browns may be betting that Tryon will have more success as part of a more pass rush oriented front led by Myles Garrett.
He's only about to be 26 years old so there may be an element of betting that he's just coming into his own. Beyond that, Tryon is a good athlete.
The signing of Tryon immediately raises questions about the status of Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. Signed two seasons ago as a free agent pass rusher, Okoronkwo was brought in with a similar thought process as Tryon. Although he had a pretty good 2023 season before suffering a season-ending pectoral injury, his 2024 season was far less impressive. Tryon is younger, cheaper and more athletic than Okoronkwo.
In addition to Garrett and Tryon when he's signed, the Browns still have Isaiah McGuire, their biggest success story on defense last year as well as Alex Wright. Wright missed most of last season with a triceps injury but can play both on the edge as well as the interior. The Browns also appear likely to use a pick in the upcoming draft on an edge rusher, potentially as high as second overall. So there's reason to wonder if the Browns may decide to release Okoronkwo in the coming days. If they do release Okoronkwo, it would be the second veteran defensive lineman they've decided to release in the last few days. The team also notified Dalvin Tomlinson of their intent to release him.
To this point, the Browns have been relatively quiet in the legal tampering period. The only other signing they've agreed to is offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas. The team also made a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire quarterback Kenny Pickett in exchange for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a draft pick.
Stay tuned to the OBR for the latest in Cleveland Browns news and updates.