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Browns Add DT In Free Agency
(official Browns release)
Browns sign veteran DT Malik Jackson
Jackson has appeared in 126 games since entering the NFL in 2012
By Andrew Gribble, ClevelandBrowns.com Senior Staff Writer
The Browns on Tuesday added some significant veteran experience to their defensive line with the signing of Malik Jackson.
Jackson, who spent the past two seasons with the Eagles, will enter his 10th year in the NFL in Cleveland, which will take a retooled defensive line into the 2021 season.
Jackson has appeared in 126 games, including 73 starts, dating back to his rookie season in 2012. He did not miss a single game from 2013-18, a stretch that saw him take over as an every-game starter with the Broncos during their 2015 Super Bowl season. He scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl 50 when he fell on a fumble in the end zone during the first quarter of Denver’s 24-10 victory.
Jackson signed with the Jaguars as one of the league’s top free agents in 2016. He delivered back-to-back career highs with 6.5 sacks in 2016 and eight sacks in 2017 while posting 11 and 10 tackles for loss, respectively.
This past year, Jackson registered 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks over 15 games. For his career, Jackson has 35 sacks and 99 hits on the quarterback.
Jackson, a former fifth-round pick out of Tennessee, joins a Browns defensive line led by All-Pro Myles Garrett and anchored in the middle by veteran Sheldon Richardson. DT Andrew Billings, a free-agent signing last year, is back with the team after opting out for the 2020 season, and DT Jordan Elliott, a third-round pick in 2020, is set to enter his second NFL season. DT Larry Ogunjobi — a starter for the past three seasons — recently signed with the Bengals, DT Vincent Taylor signed with the Texans and DE Olivier Vernon, a starter for the past two seasons, is an unrestricted free agent.