The Cleveland Browns defense took a big blow on the first day of free agency.
They lost two of their best linebackers, Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker, to AFC East Division sides in the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, respectively.
That’s why star Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah took to social media to bid farewell to the linebacker duo (via Brad Stainbrook).
#Browns Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah says goodbye to Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki: pic.twitter.com/dKN3YY3nGD
— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) March 12, 2024
Walker will now play for his hometown team on a one-year deal.
His tenure in Berea was productive, but he was only able to make 12 appearances for the team last season due to a knee injury.
Takitaki, on the other side, signed a two-year pact with Jerod Mayo’s team, and he’ll make something between $6.5 million and $10 million.
He entered the league as a third-round pick out of BYU in 2019, spending his entire career with the Browns to date.
He played 72 games and logged 268 total tackles with two picks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and four sacks, not to mention he made a big impact on special teams as well.
As for Owusu-Koramoah, he’s coming off a bit of a breakout season, and he’s expected to play a massive role in Jim Schwartz’s defense going forward as well.
It’ll be interesting to see what Andrew Berry and company do to revamp their LB room after these departures, but it’s not like it wasn’t expected.
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