The Baltimore Ravens have released safety Will Hill after signing the veteran Eric Weddle earlier in the week. The Cleveland Browns also made some noise when they released Dwayne Bowe after several unproductive seasons. The releases may not be surprising but they are telling of where each franchise is heading.
The Browns have released starting center Alex Mack, starting free safety Tashaun Gipson, starting right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, starting wide receiver Travis Benjamin, cornerback Johnson Bademosi, tight end Jim Dray, and of course, quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Those releases should completely change the Browns makeup on and off the field. Cleveland has virtually done nothing to help reload this offense or defense as they have barely made a move in free agency. The Browns biggest move came from the signing of inside linebacker Demario Davis to a two-year, $4-million deal.
The Browns also managed to sign free safety Rahim Moore after being released by the Houston Texans after one season; along with inside linebacker Justin Tuggle. Cleveland helped add some depth to this offensive line by signing former Seattle Seahawk Alvin Bailey, but lost too many linemen to make that move actually count.
Now the Browns will be behind the eight ball when it comes to building a roster that is beneficial for a rookie quarterback. It can be debated that even a player the caliber of Philip Rivers or Peyton Manning could not help the Browns in their current state.
What they have initiated is a complete rebuild of the offense down to the wide receivers, quarterbacks, and offensive line. If that wasn't bad enough, the defense was even worse and now is missing the unit's starting safety. The Ravens only lost one key player in Kelechi Osemele a starting quality offensive guard.
Baltimore also released quarterback Matt Schaub, wide receiver Chris Givens, and strong safety Brynden Trawick. The loss of Osemele will sting but the Ravens have added some quality additions to this roster including Weddle, veteran wide receiver Mike Wallace, and veteran tight end Benjamin Watson. The Ravens are looking to rebound from an injury plagued 2015 while the Browns are on the hunt for another high draft pick.
