Browns release safety Donte Whitner

The Cleveland Browns‘ 2016 offseason overhaul is starting to get a bit ridiculous, as they have cut another former Pro Bowler in safety Donte Whitner.

The Cleveland Browns are looking to be all-in on the analytics movement in the NFL, as they have hired former MLB executive Paul DePodesta to help new general manager Sashi Brown in the front office. DePodesta is best known for being a former MLB general manager with the Toronto Blue Jays and served under Billy Beane’s Moneyball Oakland Athletics in the early 2000s.

With this massive roster overhaul, the Browns on Saturday cut Cleveland native and three-time Pro Bowl strong safety Donte Whitner. Whitner joined the Browns in 2014 after two Pro Bowl years with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West. Whitner talked about his Cleveland departure on Twitter Saturday evening.

Whitner thanked the Browns for the last two seasons, but understands that Cleveland is again going in a different direction as an NFL franchise entering the 2016 NFL season. As much as he wanted to play for his hometown Browns, Whitner will have to find work elsewhere.

He did however wish that the Browns would have done him the due diligence of letting him go a month ago at the start of 2016 NFL free agency, as opposed to a month into the free agency process.

While Cleveland’s decision to hold on to Whitner for an extra month probably cost the veteran strong safety some money, he’ll certainly find work as NFL secondaries are always in need of hard-hitting defensive backs to play between the hash marks.

ESPN’s Pat McManamon points out that Whitner is now the seventh former starting player for the 2015 Browns that has left the team this offseason. Whitner and linebacker Karlos Dansby have been released by the club, while players like center Alex Mack, wide receiver Travis Benjamin, and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz have signed elsewhere in 2016 NFL free agency.

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