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In a room headlined by the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, the Cleveland Browns have added a rotational player to give defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg a firm rotation to work with in NFL free agency. Cleveland has inked a one-year deal worth up to $5 million with 2020 NFL Draft second round pick and long-time Buffalo Bills pass rusher A.J. Epenesa.
Adding the 27-year-old pass rusher now gives the Browns a firm four defensive ends to rotate through on game days. The room now consists of Garrett, Alex Wright (fresh off a contract extension in-season), Isaiah McGuire, and now Epenesa. Drafted 54th overall by the Bills six years ago, Epenesa has racked up 24 career sacks and 29 tackles for loss. He went through three years from 2022 to 2024, where he had six sacks in each of those seasons.
The Browns will take that kind of production from Epenesa as their third or fourth man in the rotation.
If we follow the money, the Browns will be starting Alex Wright across from Garrett next season. However, they need four solid pass rushers to get on the field. Last year, that was the combination of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka before he was traded to the Chicago Bears, and Cameron Thomas. However, Thomas has now inked a deal with the Atlanta Falcons in NFL free agency.
This leaves McGuire and Epenesa as the rotational edge rushers for the Browns to bring on the field when Garrett needs a breather or when Wright kicks inside on occasion. This does leave room for the Browns to bring in a smaller, more explosive pass rusher, either in free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft given how massive and stout all of Wright, McGuire, and Epenesa are.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns add A.J. Epenesa in NFL free agency to round out DE room
Continue reading...
Adding the 27-year-old pass rusher now gives the Browns a firm four defensive ends to rotate through on game days. The room now consists of Garrett, Alex Wright (fresh off a contract extension in-season), Isaiah McGuire, and now Epenesa. Drafted 54th overall by the Bills six years ago, Epenesa has racked up 24 career sacks and 29 tackles for loss. He went through three years from 2022 to 2024, where he had six sacks in each of those seasons.
The Browns will take that kind of production from Epenesa as their third or fourth man in the rotation.
How Epenesa fits in with the Browns
If we follow the money, the Browns will be starting Alex Wright across from Garrett next season. However, they need four solid pass rushers to get on the field. Last year, that was the combination of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka before he was traded to the Chicago Bears, and Cameron Thomas. However, Thomas has now inked a deal with the Atlanta Falcons in NFL free agency.
This leaves McGuire and Epenesa as the rotational edge rushers for the Browns to bring on the field when Garrett needs a breather or when Wright kicks inside on occasion. This does leave room for the Browns to bring in a smaller, more explosive pass rusher, either in free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft given how massive and stout all of Wright, McGuire, and Epenesa are.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns add A.J. Epenesa in NFL free agency to round out DE room
Continue reading...
