Make it $74 million and counting -- in one day.
The Browns added their second front seven player via NFL free agency Tuesday, giving defensive tackle Desmond Bryant of Oakland a reported $34 million contract for five years. Bryant joins Paul Kruger, who signed for $40 million earlier in the day.
This Bryant signing is curious, because the one area of the team that seemed stocked was defensive line. With Phil Taylor, Ahtyba Rubin, Billy Winn, John Hughes (Ol' Stack and Shed) and Kruger, the Browns seemed to have a fair amount of linemen to play the three-four.
Could a trade be coming?
Perhaps with Rubin?
Nobody knows. It's all a guess.
And there is a saying/belief that a team can never have enough defensive linemen, so the Browns added a guy considered one of the better interior defensive players on the free agent market.
Too, New England tried to sign him, which says something.
Bryant is 6-foot-6 and 311 pounds. He played inside in Oakland last season. He had 10.5 sacks the past three seasons, and played in 62 of 64 games in his four-year career. He joined the Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard.
This offseason, he achieved some notoriety for being arrested for criminal mischief and taking a now-infamous mug shot (it's all over the internet).
Bryant was accused of going to a neighbor's house in Miami while drunk and causing a commotion. He apparently arrived about breakfast time.
At the Combine, CEO Joe Banner said he didn't mind flamboyant players who worked hard and were committed. He said nothing about guys who got arrested at breakfast at their neighbor's. Evidently we know how they stand on that issue.
The Browns clearly are committed to improving their defense. They've done it with their first two signings.
The only surprise is that one player isn't a cornerback, but there is plenty of time to address that position as free agency rumbles forward.
