Phil Taylor Released by Browns: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Cleveland Browns released defensive tackle Phil Taylor on Tuesday, according to the team's website.

"Given depth in room we knew we'd have to make difficult choices," head coach Mike Pettine said of cutting Taylor, per Mary Kay Cabot of Northeast Ohio Media Group. "We felt it was the right decision."

He added that Taylor's guaranteed $5.47 million contract wasn't a factor in cutting the veteran defensive tackle, per Cabot, and that Taylor's knee—which has required two surgeries—is "not yet 100 percent," though Pettine said the defensive tackle "is well on his way to recovery."

With Taylor gone, the Browns no longer have a single player on their roster from their 2011 draft, per Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, including the four players they landed in a trade with Atlanta (Taylor, Greg Little, Owen Marecic and Brandon Weeden) when the Falcons moved up to the No. 6 pick to land Julio Jones, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Taylor, 27, appeared in just five games in 2014, accumulating 10 tackles. He was expected to earn playing time at nose tackle this year, though rookie Danny Shelton has impressed this preseason—even earning the praise of Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito, per Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com—and seems primed to be a difference-maker for the team at nose tackle.

That, combined with Taylor's knee issues, made him expendable in Cleveland. And while Taylor's contract is guaranteed, "the guarantee is subject to offset language, which gives Cleveland a dollar-for-dollar credit on money he earns elsewhere," according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.    

In other words, the Browns are banking on Taylor to earn a nice contract elsewhere and come off their books, clearing out a player who would have otherwise represented a hefty cap hit while backing up Shelton. Taylor is a solid player in his prime, so it's unlikely he'll be a free agent for long.