Browns Agree To Terms With Defensive Tackle Quinton Jefferson as he depart to the Jets but unfortunately…
The Browns are adding more depth to their defensive line by adding former Jets defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson.
In an effort to keep the defensive line, especially the interior, a strength in 2024, the Browns have added more depth to the unit as they agreed to terms with Quinton Jefferson early Thursday morning according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com who had the news first.
The organization has been working efforts to welcome back most of its 2023 talent as best they can but there were some focal spots they wanted to improve heading into next season.
Just how interested they were in a reunion with Jordan Elliott is unknown, but the former Browns signed a two-year deal in San Francisco and that opened the door for the deal with Jefferson.
Jefferson will be entering his ninth NFL season in 2024 and has found his niche as a pass-rushing threat in a variety of fronts. He would play both the shade, think closer to a nose tackle, at times and the Jets would also bump him out to play the 3-technique or even wider as more of a 4i technique where he was over the inside eye of the tackle on passing downs.
Drafted out of Maryland in the 5th round, pick 147, by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2016 NFLD Draft, Jefferson has become known for his ability to rush the passer. After a slow start to his career in Seattle, Jefferson has put up 30+ pressures in each of the last six seasons, including 123 over the last three seasons.
He has become more adept at getting to the quarterback and finishing plays with sacks as he went for eight last season, six in 2022, and seven in 2021. The run defense has not been as adequate as he doesn’t handle double teams well, but the pressure ability will make him an ideal late-down rotational piece for Jim Schwartz.
Jefferson also had stops in Buffalo in 2020, Las Vegas in 2021, a return to Seattle in 2022, and then his most recent stop in New York with the Jets for 2023. The Browns will also play the one-year contract game with Jefferson for 2024.
Last year he was 15th among defensive tackles in win percentage in pass rush scenarios at 14% and seventh in pass rush productivity. The Browns wanted more pass-rush juice on their interior and they seem to have found their answer.
Follow along at the OBR for a more comprehensive view of Jefferson in the coming week.
