Paul Kruger, signed in 2013 to improve the Cleveland Browns’ pass rush, has had a mixed career. The Browns now look to be pondering moving on.
After the Browns’ loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Kruger expressed his desire to stay with the team and dismissed rumours, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kruger has “come up” in trade talks before of Tuesday’s deadline. According to Rapoport, Cleveland’s left tackle Joe Thomas and centre Alex Mack could be traded, indicating a significant rebuilding effort.
Kruger, 29, had just 15 tackles and 0.5 sacks in the first eight games. The pass-rushing specialist is ranked 40th among 47 qualifying 3-4 linebackers in Pro Football Focus’ overall grades, with particularly low marks in run coverage.
Kruger has never been considered outstanding in that category, and his inconsistency getting to the quarterback has only made problems worse.
The 2009 second-round pick moved to Cleveland after a successful 2012 season in Baltimore, where he recorded nine sacks. Kruger battled to 4.5 sacks in his debut season with Cleveland. He had a significant rebound last year, with 11, but his performance in the first half of 2015 suggests the Browns will never be able to rely on him consistently.
According to Spotrac, Kruger is set to earn $13.5 million in base pay over the next two seasons, making it difficult for the Browns to replace him unless another team becomes desperate.
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