Browns cut pass rusher Paul Kruger, who criticizes how team used him

Paul Kruger likely knew his time was coming with the Cleveland Browns when he saw the flurry of moves the team made in the offseason that directly affected his livelihood. That gave him ample time to craft a proper goodbye to the team that has employed him the past three seasons.

 

Paul Kruger was cut by the Cleveland Browns, a decision he disagreed with (AP).

Kruger, 30, was released by the Browns on Monday as the first big wave of roster cuts started. He signed a big-money deal prior to the 2013 season and never fulfilled his expectations.

Here’s what Kruger had to say on his way out of town:

 

 

	Paul Kruger @pkruger99
pic.twitter.com/74ZN0Zdibv 6:04 AM - 29 Aug 2016

So there you have it — thankful but disappointed in how he was used. Cutting Kruger saves the Browns (and likely costs Kruger) millions, so that could have a lot to do with his disappointment.

The hybrid linebacker-defensive end parlayed a great playoff run with the Baltimore Ravens en route to a Super Bowl title in 2012 into a five-year deal worth $40.5 million ($13 million guaranteed) the following spring. His pass-rush productivity was a roller coaster — from 4.5 sacks in 2013 to a career-high 11 in 2014, back down to 2.5 last season.

Kruger represents two phases of the Browns. His overinflated contract 2013 was reflective of a Browns team of yore that was desperate to draw name free agents to a team that hadn’t won more than five games for five years running up to that point. And his release in 2016 represents the new Browns regime that’s in full skin-shedding mode from all the past mistakes.

The Browns turned on the roster blender this offseason. They released or let walk several high-priced veterans and brought in scores of younger, cheaper options. The writing might have been on the wall for Kruger when the team drafted pass rushers Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib and Joe Schubert this year, along with Nate Orchard in 2015.

So will his salty goodbye perhaps rub other potential employers the wrong way? Not likely. Kruger still might have some value to another team, and teams are always on the lookout for pass rushers — especially those who (if he’s right) were misused in other systems.