The Browns are adding defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. on a one-year deal to help with the depth of their defensive line, a league source confirmed to the Beacon Journal late Wednesday.
Brad Steinbrook of Orange & Brown Report was the first to report.
Hurst, the Raiders’ former 2018 fifth-round draft pick from the University of Michigan, did not play during the 2022 season due to a torn bicep he sustained on the fourth day of training camp with the San Francisco 49ers. He played in two games for the 49ers in 2021, recording two tackles, before suffering a season-ending calf injury.
Between 2018–20, Hurst played in 40 games for the Raiders, including 17 starts. He made 76 combined tackles in those three seasons, eight sacks, eight tackles for loss and 17 quarterback hits.
Hurst had a career interception, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble.
What Hurst provides is another depth piece as Browns general manager Andrew Berry tries to re-tool the defensive line room via free agency. The Browns officially announced the signings of former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson — one of the top defensive tackles on the free-agent market — and former Houston Texans defensive end Ogbonia Okoronkoe to begin the new league year Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET .
Those two deals were finalized on Monday, the first day of the NFL’s negotiating window. The Browns also agreed to a three-year deal on Wednesday with former Kansas City Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill.
The Browns have re-signed two free agents of their own: center Ethan Posic and linebacker Zion Takitaki. A one-year contract with Takitaki, has not yet been officially announced by the team.
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This article was originally published on the Akron Beacon Journal: Browns sign defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. to one-year deal
