The Cleveland Browns are not seen as a successful franchise at all. They have struggled to build a competitive team recently, however they have just made a surprising move in their roster by releasing a former 1st-overall pick.

In 2022, the Browns added another losing season with a 7-9 record. They were unable to compete in the NFC North, where the Cincinnati Bengals have dominated in recent years.

They are now preparing the 2023 NFL season and they want to end their disappointing streak. For that reason, the Browns have made some changes in their roster, and that includes releasing a top player.

Browns make surprising roster change and release a former 1st-overall pick

Browns' defense is probably the best they have. Unfortunately, they are set to lose a key piece for the 2023 campaign in a very controversial move by the team's front office.

This Wednesday, the Browns decided to release Jadeveon Clowney, the 2014 1st-overall pick. He arrived to Cleveland in 2021, but the team decided to move on from him after a disappointing 2022 campaign.

In two years with Cleveland, the defensive end played 26 games with only 11 sacks, 65 combinated tackles and 23 quarterback hits, which led to the team not being interested in extending his contract.