Browns set to gift DC Jim Schwartz the exact kind of player he loves in NFL free agency
Out with the old and in with the new. The Cleveland Browns reportedly decided to move on from DT Dalvin Tomlinson earlier in the week at the start of the tampering period. Now, the team looks to have found a replacement. First reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rappoport, the Browns are set to sign veteran […]
Out with the old and in with the new.
The Cleveland Browns reportedly decided to move on from DT Dalvin Tomlinson earlier in the week at the start of the tampering period. Now, the team looks to have found a replacement.
First reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rappoport, the Browns are set to sign veteran DT Maliek Collins to a two-year deal worth $20 million.
Cleveland bringing in Maliek Collins makes sense for Jim Schwartz’s system
The Browns’ defense thrives on winning up front and getting home. As a 3-tech, Collins does just that and is a pretty good interior pass rusher. The San Francisco 49ers traded for Collins last offseason and he had 33 tackles and five sacks in 17 games played. Sam Francisco decided to cut times with him after just one season and released him before the start of the tampering period.
In 2024, Collins had 45 pressures created with the 49ers and a pressure rate of 10.3 percent. The veteran tackle is entering his 10th season in the NFL after being a third-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. Collins spent his rookie contract with the Cowboys, before playing a season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The most productive season for Collins came in 2023 with Houston, when he made five sacks, 41 tackles, and 18 hits on the quarterback in 16 games.
Collins slides in as a starter alongside second-year defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. on passing downs at least. The two give the Browns an interior that can really get after the passer, as long as Hall can stay on the field.
Cleveland could and should add another defensive tackle in the NFL draft. Shelby Harris and second-year defensive tackle Jowon Briggs are the two other defensive tackles on the roster.
A solid signing for Cleveland on the surface and it didn’t break the bank to make it happen. Tomlinson was scheduled to make $11.4 million in 2025, so the Browns got a bit cheaper at the position.
