Browns Release Former First-Round Pick DT Phil Taylor

The Browns announced that they’ve released former first-round pick DT Phil Taylor on Tuesday.

• Cleveland also waived DL Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, FB Luke Lundy, and K Carey Spear.

This is a very surprising move from the Browns, seeing as they picked up his fifth-year option and he was on roster first day of league year, which means his base salary of $5.477 million is fully guaranteed.

Taylor was the last remaining player from the Browns trade with the Falcons that allowed Atlanta to move up to No. 6 overall for WR Julio Jones.

Taylor, 27, was entering the final year of his four-year, $8,093,250 rookie contract that included a $4.368 million signing bonus. He was set to make a base salary of $5.477 million for the 2015 season.

In 2014, Taylor appeared in just five games and recorded 10 tackles and a pass defense for the Browns.