CLEVELAND, Ohio — It didn’t take long for the Browns to replace defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, who was released Wednesday with a post-June 1 designation.
By Thursday morning, the Browns agreed to terms with defensive tackle Maliek Collins, who was released earlier in the day by the 49ers after one season. It’s a two-year deal worth up to $20 million.
Collins, 29, ranked seventh in the pass-rush win rate last season according to ESPN stats and info, which means he’ll bring pressure up the middle the Browns love. They’ll also get it from 2024 second-round pick Michael Hall Jr., who was limited to eight games and three starts because of a five-game suspension and injuries. He was carted off he field with a serious knee injury in the finale, with Browns GM Andrew Berry later saying he’d need months to recover.
Last season, Collins finished with 33 tackles, five sacks, five tackles for a loss and 12 quarterback hits in his 17 starts. He played 67% of the snaps, according to Pro Football Reference.
A 10th-year pro, Collins ranked only 73rd among qualifying defensive tackles according to Pro Football Focus - compared to 35th for Tomlinson - but the pass-rush win rate undoubtedly weighed heavily in the decision.
Originally a third-round pick of the Cowboys out of Nebraska in 2016, Collins has played for Dallas (2016-19), the Raiders (2020), the Texans (2021-2023) and the 49ers (2024).
Last offseason, the 49ers acquired him in a trade with the Texans for a seventh-round pick. But he was let go Wednesday along with fellow defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who signed a two-year deal with the Vikings worth $30 million. The Browns pursued Hargrave in 2023, but the 49ers outbid them. They were not in the mix for him in this cycle.
In nine NFL seasons, Collins has played in 136 games with 129 starts, notching 239 tackles, including 51 for a loss. He recorded 30.5 sacks, 88 quarterback hits, four passes defensed, one interception and one forced fumble.
He’s the fifth player the Browns have either signed or re-signed in the new league year, which officially opened on Wednesday. The others are quarterback Kenny Pickett, acquired in a trade with the Eagles for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick in this draft; former Commanders offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas; former Bucs first-round edge-rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka; and linebacker Devin Bush, re-signed to a second straight one-year deal.
The Browns also signed Myles Garrett to blockbuster four-year extension worth $160 million, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the history of the NFL at $40 million a year.
The Browns will try to improve their defensive ranking this season after tumbling from No. 1 in 2023 to No. 19 last year.
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