Rookie from Texas Tech may have a chance to grab a backup spot along the offensive line.
The Cleveland Browns signed center Dawson Deaton on Thursday.
The Browns selected Deaton in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the No. 246 overall selection.
We have signed 7 of the 9 players in our 2022 draft class
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 12, 2022
According to Over the Cap’s rookie pool estimate, Deaton’s contract will have a total value of $3.76 million with a signing bonus of $97,636. His base salary for 2022 will be $705,000 with a cap hit of $729,409.
The 6-foot-5 and 301-pound Deaton appeared in 44 games, making 35 starts, at Texas Tech. A two-time Second-Team All-Big 12 selection, he was part of an offensive line that allowed only 1.5 sacks per game in 2018, which was the second-best mark in the conference.
Deaton will have an uphill battle to earn a roster spot as a seventh-round pick, but the Browns are not exactly established at the center position after the offseason release of JC Tretter.
Nick Harris, who is entering his third season, is the presumptive favorite to lock down the starter’s role, but Ethan Pocic, who was signed in free agency from the Seattle Seahawks, has struggled during his career, so there might be an opportunity for Deaton to claim a backup role if the shows enough potential in training camp.
Deaton will wear No. 52 with the Browns.