Devin Bush joins the Browns, a team his father played for
In general, NFL free agency has been reduced to one-year contracts with players competing for a spot on the roster. The Cleveland Browns have reportedly agreed to sign a couple of these players in the previous 24 hours:
- TE Giovanni Ricci
- CB Tony Brown
- DT Quinton Jefferson
With a roster reinforced by the return of Za’Darius Smith, Maurice Hurst, and Shelby Harris, as well as the trade for Jerry Jeudy, the Browns appear to be looking for smaller names to fit certain roles on the squad.
We reported this morning on our Day 4 Rumor blog that LB Devin Bush was in Cleveland. Thursday afternoon’s visit resulted with a reported signing:
Browns are signing former Steelers and Seahawks linebacker Devin Bush to a one-year deal, per source. pic.twitter.com/K7RDybqy7p
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2024
Bush was a first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019. To choose the former Michigan Wolverines linebacker, the Steelers exchanged a first, second, and third-round pick, moving up from 20th to 10th.
Despite a draft profile that mentioned exceptional play power, eye discipline, and football IQ, Bush never lived up to his draft status in Pittsburgh. Bush struggled to make an impact in 52 games (48 starts).
The Steelers denied Bush’s fifth-year option, thus he signed with the Seattle Seahawks for the one-year minimum. He only played 27% of Seattle’s defensive snaps, but he did 138 on special teams.
Bush will most certainly compete for a roster spot in Cleveland, with the opportunity to make an impact on special teams. A new beginning and DC Jim Schwartz might jumpstart his career, but the undersized (5’11”) has a lot to show.
Interestingly, Devin’s father, Devin Bush Sr., concluded his eight-year career with the Browns. Between 2001 and 2002, the free safety appeared in 31 games and made 16 starts.
