The Cleveland Browns are turning to a familiar veteran to patch up an edge-rusher group that has taken a hit.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Browns are signing Derek Barnett to a one-year contract worth up to $5.5 million. Fowler reported: "Defensive end Derek Barnett is signing with the Cleveland Browns on a one-year deal up to $5.5M, per source," Fowler reports. " The former first-round pick is back for Year 10, spent previous three years in Houston."
The move comes after Cleveland traded away Myles Garrett, then saw its edge-rushing depth get even thinner with Alex Wright banged up and out for the year. The Browns had already been looking at options at the position and recently missed on Jadeveon Clowney and Za’Darius Smith.
Barnett, 30, arrives after three seasons with the Houston Texans, where he put together a steady run as a rotational edge rusher. In that stretch, he posted 12.5 sacks, 66 tackles and two fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns. He also had 5.0 sacks in each of the last two years.
Before that, Barnett spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2017 and partially into the 2023 season. He totaled 21.5 sacks there, including one during the Eagles’ Super Bowl title run.
He also made one of the most memorable plays from that championship run, recovering the Tom Brady fumble in the Super Bowl on a play that was essentially game-winning for Philadelphia.
Barnett never quite matched the expectations that came with being a first-round pick, but he has remained a useful pass rusher. For Cleveland, that makes this a low-cost one-year gamble on a player who can help right away as the Browns try to rebuild their edge room ahead of the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Texans Suddenly Have A Tank Dell Problem Before Week 1
Tank Dells recovery has turned into one of the more important camp developments for Houston as Week 1 approaches. The Texans have kept him in limited work while he continues to rehab, but he has not been a full participant in recent practices and also sat out the final preseason game, leaving his status for the opener in serious doubt.
Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel have emerged as names to watch if Houston has to adjust on the fly opposite Nico Collins. With Dell unavailable, the Texans are left sorting through a receiver depth chart that suddenly looks less settled than it did a few weeks ago, and how they handle that spot could shape the way the offense opens the season. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Suddenly Have A Receiver Battle Fans Need To Watch
Jayden Higgins season-ending ACL injury forced the Texans to move quickly, and the answer came in the form of two veteran wide receivers added to the 90-man roster. Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones now enter a receiver room that needed more bodies and more experience, giving Houston a pair of proven options to sort through as training camp and the preseason unfold.
DeMeco Ryans pointed to that veteran presence as part of the appeal, with both players offering the kind of depth that can matter when roster spots are up for grabs. The bigger question now is how they look in the coming weeks, because Shepard and Jones are not just filling out camp numbers - they are competing for one of the Texans 53-man roster spots. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Just Lost A Respected Backfield Presence After His Comeback Year
Nick Chubbs NFL career ended with a familiar kind of respect, the sort that follows a runner who did it the hard way and kept coming back. After eight seasons, the veteran back announced his retirement on Instagram following his final year with the Texans, where he was part of a playoff push and added one more chapter to a career built on efficiency, toughness and a remarkable recovery from major knee injuries.
For Houston, the loss is more than just a depth-chart note. Chubb brought credibility and steadiness to the backfield in a season that mattered, and he leaves the game with a place among the Browns all-time rushing leaders after years of productive work in Cleveland. The Texans now move on without a respected presence who helped stabilize the room and gave their offense a proven runner during a meaningful stretch. [Read more 🡒]