When the Cleveland Browns signed Juan Thornhill, expectations were high for a defensive game-changer.
Reality proved far different—injuries plagued his time with the team, resulting in zero turnovers across two disappointing seasons.
Now, as the Browns look to rebound from a dismal 3-14 campaign, they’re cutting ties with the underperforming safety.
A league source has confirmed Thornhill’s impending release, a move that prominent analyst Adam Gerstenhaber quickly labeled as yet another significant misstep in Andrew Berry’s tenure as general manager.
During a recent “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show” segment, Gerstenhaber didn’t mince words, describing the decision as another indictment against Andrew Berry.
He highlighted the Browns’ troubling pattern of overpaying players who fail to deliver while relying too heavily on free agency rather than building through the draft.
“You don’t become a winner because of free agency. You build a team, and then you supplement with free agency to get the final touches. And the Browns have relied too much on free agency. And the reason this move was important to me, is because it’s just another example, in my opinion, of the very poor job that Andrew Berry has done as the General Manager of the Browns,” Gerstenhaber stated firmly.
The #Browns cut Juan Thornhill this morning in what @adamthebull points to as another indictment against Andrew Berry. pic.twitter.com/PS4sz3ally
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) February 24, 2025
Berry’s decisions as GM haven’t been without some bright spots—the trades for Jerry Jeudy and Amari Cooper stand out as solid moves.
However, the overwhelming majority of his choices have backfired significantly.
The Browns have now burned through money on consecutive safety acquisitions over a four-year span, while their defensive line additions have largely fizzled out or completely flopped.
As Berry enters his fifth year at the helm, he faces a pivotal offseason with his highest draft selection to date, a golden opportunity to silence critics by demonstrating he can identify and acquire meaningful talent.
Cleveland’s struggles with high-profile free agents who arrive amid fanfare only to disappoint has become an all-too-familiar story for Browns fans.
Many of these players showed up with impressive résumés and plenty of talk, but failed to translate that into on-field production when it mattered most.
NEXT: Andrew Berry Releases Statement After Releasing Charley Hughlett
