Browns Sign Veteran DT to Join Myles Garrett on Cleveland D-Line

The Cleveland Browns contract extension with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett has dominated most of the headlines for the franchise this offseason, but that hasn’t stopped the team from continuing to bolster their defensive line unit in free agency.

After giving up an average of 129.7 rushing yards per game last season, the Browns have added an impact defensive tackle to help anchor the run defense.

Browns Sign DT Maliek Collins

Most NFL fans are aware that Myles Garrett is capable of wreaking havoc in opposing backfields, but he finally appears to have a running mate who can help collapse the interior of the pocket with the signing of DT Maliek Collins in free agency.

As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on X, “Shortly after being released by the 49ers, DT Maliek Collins reached agreement with the Cleveland Browns on a two-year, $20 million deal that includes $13 million fully guaranteed. Deal negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus.”

As mentioned in Schefter’s post, Collins spent last year with the San Francisco 49ers. Collins had another solid year in 2024 with five sacks, 33 total tackles, and two fumble recoveries over his lone season with the Niners.

Prior to his one year in San Francisco, Collins was a consistent presence in the middle of the Houston defense for three years, where he racked up 107 total tackles and 11 sacks during his time with the Texans.

Collins started his career with the Cowboys and managed to register 61 total tackles, 14.5 sacks and recover five fumbles over his four years in Dallas.

Collins has generated 48 pressures, 18 hurries, and 17 QB knockdowns over the last two seasons combined, which is noteworthy for a defensive tackle.

What Will the Browns Defense Look Like with the Addition of Collins?

Collins’ role as an interior defensive lineman doesn’t always lend itself to gaudy sack totals, but he has registered five sacks in back-to-back campaigns — which does suggest he is capable of providing some pass-rushing juice from the middle of the defensive line.

The addition of Collins comes shortly after the team’s decision to release Dalvin Tomlinson, who tallied just 26 total tackles and three sacks in 2024.

Collins will join Shelby Harris and Mike Hall Jr. — who suffered a knee injury late in the 2024 NFL season — in the defensive tackle rotation, which could pay huge dividends for a defense that had moments where they struggled to slow down opposing rushing attacks and generate interior pressure on the quarterback.

Cleveland dropped from the second best pass defense in 2023 all the way to 14th last season. Not all of those issues fall on the defensive tackle pressure rate, but this is one way to potentially help this defense return to their elite status entering the 2025 NFL season.

Additionally, the Browns signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers first round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to work opposite of Garrett in a retooled Cleveland front.

Whether it’s by pressuring the quarterback or being a disruptive force in the backfield, Collins has a nice track record of making plays in an opponent’s backfield with 31 tackles for loss since 2021. If the Browns defense manages to return to it’s 2023 form, Collins could be a big reason for that transformation.