Browns Exercise DT Phil Taylor’s Fifth-Year Option

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns have exercised DT Phil Taylor‘s fifth-year option on Friday.

Taylor recently mentioned that he was hoping to remain with the team in the coming years, but admitted that he wasn’t sure if they were going to pick up his option.

“I would love to be here, but that’s not up to me,” Taylor said Wednesday, via the Akron Beacon-Journal. “So we’re going to wait and see what [the front office] is going to do about it.”

Taylor’s fifth-year option will run Cleveland $5.477 million, which isn’t all that bad of a figure based on the other fifth-year option totals.

The Browns used the No. 21 overall pick on Taylor back in 2011. Cleveland acquire the pick from the Falcons as they made the move up to select WR Julio Jones at No. 6 overall.

Last year, Taylor appeared in 15 games and totaled 26 tackles and two sacks. Pro Football Focus rated him as the No. 26 defensive tackle in the league last year and an above-average run-stopper.