Browns release Sheldon Richardson

   I asked the question when the Browns announced the signing of Jadeveon Clowney that if signing Clowney cost the Browns Sheldon Richardson, was it worth it?

Now we will find out as the Browns released Richardson to save twelve of his thirteen and a half million dollar salary against their cap.

Another part of the question that I asked was this- Which would you choose between an injury-prone defensive end and a durable defensive tackle?

When both players are healthy, both are Pro Bowl level talents, but Clowney has had his problems staying on the field, while Richardson has reliably stuck in the lineup.

Richardson finished 2020 with 35 solo tackles and four and a half sacks, and he was the best Brown lineman other than Myles Garrett, but Cleveland would paying a sizable amount of dollars for a player that while very good isn't quite dominant.

I get the savings under the cap, understand that part, and even give the benefit of the doubt that the Browns and Richardson attempted to come to terms on a different deal that could have kept him in Cleveland.

However, besides the durability issue, there is another question that will need to be answered- Have the Browns traded concerns in hopefully solving defensive end across from Myles Garrett in exchange for weakening the interior defensive line?

With both starters from 2020 having departed at defensive tackle (Larry Ogunjobi left via free agency), the Browns are left with 2020 free agent signing/Covid-19 sit-out Andrew Billings, 2020 third-rounder Jordan Elliott, free-agent addition Malik Jackson, and developmental signee Sheldon Day at the position.

Should the Browns have the Malik Jackson that starred as a Jacksonville Jaguar, then my concern about the loss of Sheldon Richardson goes away, but that's asking a lot for a player that is now 31 and wasn't that player for the last two years as a Philadelphia Eagle.

Who knows what Andrew Billings will have for training camp because there are questions about any player that missed all of last season via voluntary withdrawal.

What kind of shape did they keep themselves in? 

Which will prove to be a plus? 

Taking a year off without an injury rehabilitation to recover from the pounding that an NFL player takes?

Or will the lack of contact make a player more vulnerable to injury or sacrifice sharpness?

That's going to vary from player to player and it's interesting to keep tabs on, but it is a question with Billings.

Jordan Elliott showed promise, but is he a player that is a rotation piece or a major stalwart of the interior line?

What this could mean is that the Browns may be looking for a defensive tackle in the draft rather than a defensive end.

It's not a great crop of defensive tackles in the draft as Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranks only one defensive tackle as a first-rounder(( Alabama's Christian Barmore) and only one other as a second-rounder ( Washington's Levi Onwuzurike), so for a sure-fire starter this isn't the best year to do so.

I don't have an issue with Jadeveon Clowney's signing, but I'm not thrilled about losing Sheldon Richardson and we will see if this is a case of solving one issue to create another.