Browns news, features and notes
- Browns sign rookie offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey, a seventh-round pick, to four-year contract
- Browns sign seventh-round draft pick Garrett Gilkey
- Browns third-string quarterback Brian Hoyer confident he has what it takes to become starter
- Browns Q and A: Running back Brandon Jackson
- Browns notebook: Trent Richardson continues to be plagued by injuries, might miss minicamp next month
- Marla Ridenour: Tornado’s terror touches Browns’ Brandon Weeden, Josh Cooper
Browns sign linebacker selected in fourth round
According to John Taylor of the Orange and Brown Report the Browns have come to terms with Kaluka Maiava, a fourth-round pick from Southern California.
Taylor says the four-year deal for the outside linebacker is likely worth just under $2.5 million.
At USC, Maiava only started his senior year, but played in 51 career games. During that time, he had 164 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 7 pass breakups. In 2008, he was named to the Pac-10 all-conference second team.
He was twice named the Trojan's co-special teams player of the year. It is likely he'll be a backup and special teams contributor for the Browns.
Maiava is the second Browns draftee to receive a contract following the recent signing of running back James Davis.
Notes... Scott Wright of Draft Countdown just reviewed the team's draft. He gave the Browns a B-. Here's an excerpt:
Whether or not Cleveland’s new braintrust will finally get the franchise on the right track remains to be seen but their performance on Draft Day was not very encouraging. There is no question that the Browns bolstered their roster with a bunch of quality players but none of the guys they brought in offer much in the way of upside or impact potential.
Apparently getting multiple starters instead of crapshoots out of a draft is a bad thing these days.