The Cleveland Browns have seemingly admitted yet another NFL Draft mistake. After already having jettisoned quarterback Brandon Weeden, running back Trent Richardson and dealing with the consistent knuckle headedness of wide receiver Josh Gordon, the Browns announced on Tuesday that they had released 2011 first-rounder Phil Taylor. Per Pro Football Talk, Taylor has already begun to receive interest from other teams.
While it's fair to criticize the Browns for yet another draft miss, Taylor was drafted by a different regime and has struggled to stay healthy at times - he saw his first preseason action this past weekend after struggling with a knee injury suffered in early Nov. - and the rapid emergence of the team's most recent first-rounder, Danny Shelton, was, per head coach Mike Pettine, a large - literally and figuratively - part of the reason for the franchise's decision to part ways with Taylor.
Taylor, landed with a pick the Browns received as part of their haul from the Julio Jones draft day trade with the Atlanta Falcons, was the only player left of the five selected with those picks. Interestingly, the team picked up Taylor's fifth-year contract option earlier this offseason, guaranteeing his base salary of $5.477 million, though the guarantee is subject to offset language, meaning that Cleveland receives a dollar-for-dollar credit on money he earns elsewhere, which, if the report of league wide interest is accurate, means the Browns won't be on the hook for much.