CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – With the new league year and free agency officially underway, the Cleveland Browns announced agreements with two players – edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
Okoronkwo and Tomlinson, both unrestricted free agents, came to terms on Monday after the legal tampering/negotiating window opened.
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Pro Football Focus graded Tomlinson, who started all 13 games he appeared in last season for the Minnesota Vikings, as the third best interior defensive lineman available after tallying 42 tackles, three tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks in 2022.
“I'm excited about Dalvin being a Cleveland Brown,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He's a smart, tough football player. In addition to being a productive force in the middle of the defense, he's a high character person. He's a great teammate and exactly the type of person we want as part of our team.”
Tomlinson, originally selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, gets a four-year, $57 million contract with $27.5 million guaranteed.
Okoronkwo was a fifth-round pick by the Rams in the 2018 NFL Draft who spent last season with the Houston Texans.
“Really excited to join the Cleveland Browns,” Okoronkwo said. “I am looking forward to adding to an already talented roster, while playing opposite of Myles Garrett, and to be coached by coach Schwartz in his system, where I’ve seen multiple players traditionally find success in it. I can’t wait to get it going and the goal is to bring a Super Bowl to the city of Cleveland.”
Okoronkwo, who received a three-year, $19 million with $12.5 guaranteed contract, has appeared in 50 career games with eight starts with Los Angeles from 2018-2021 and Houston. He has totaled 75 tackles, 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
Last season, Okoronkwo appeared in all 17 games with the Texans and became a starter for Houston late in the season where he had five sacks over the final six games.
“Ogbo will fit in well with our defensive scheme,” Stefanski said. “He’s a disruptive force and has capitalized when given opportunities. He has a lot of upside and we are happy that we are able to add him to our defense.”