Cleveland Browns Release T.J. Carrie, Demetrius Harris, Eric Kush
The Cleveland Browns have begun turning over some of their roster on Monday, first releasing linebacker Adarius Taylor. They've also release T.J. Carrie, Demetrius Harris and Eric Kush. Two of the moves, Harris and Kush are largely about fit, while Taylor and Carrie are largely about saving money on the salary cap. The total cap savings for all four of the moves the Browns have made so far today comes to $13.35 million.
The one move that's entirely a financial one is Carrie, who was set to make $8.15 million this season. This does come with $1.8 million in dead cap for the Browns, but they end up recovering $6.35 million on this year's salary cap.
Carrie was far and away the best of the players being released. He offered versatility and toughness, offering some great moments with the Browns. Predominately operating from the slot, he would occasionally play some matchups on the boundary. Carrie was also a consistent tackler. When he signed the contract, this year always represented a natural out in the deal.
Demetrius Harris only played one season with the Browns as a Y tight end. He came in as a good blocker, but his hands have been a disaster since entering the league after playing basketball in college.
He also found himself in a bigger role than he anticipated coming to the Browns to play. Harris was to be the full time Y as the second tight end to David Njoku. When Njoku hurt his wrist and missed most of the season, Harris found himself getting a lot of opportunities to make plays, which he often struggled to do. He did make a few memorable plays, but that inconsistency may have hurt him with this new Browns front office.
Eric Kush was signed as a versatile backup offensive lineman. When the Browns traded Kevin Zeitler to the New York Giants and it was discovered Austin Corbett couldn't play right guard, Kush became the fall back option. He played as advertised in a starting role, offering solid pass protection and little as a run blocker. The issue that hurt Kush was the fact that he would make blocks, but give up ground in the process, which often led to a collapsing pocket, causing problems for Baker Mayfield. He was ultimately replaced in the starting lineup by Wyatt Teller.
