Defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen has signed his restricted free agent tender from the Browns, meaning he is now officially under contract, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Kitchen’s signing means that only one RFA – Browns safety Tashaun Gipson – has yet to ink his deal.
Kitchen, who turns 27 next month, earned 279 defensive snaps for the Browns in 2014, making 27 tackles. While his play in the middle was unspectacular, the Kent State product was solid enough in his three years in Cleveland that the team felt comfortable tendering him a one-year contract offer worth $1.542MM. Kitchen will now be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016.
When I provided an update on the remaining unsigned restricted free agents earlier this month, I noted that there was no indication that Kitchen was unhappy with his contract situation, and that he would likely sign his tender soon. The same can’t be said for Gipson, who isn’t at Cleveland’s OTAs and wants a long-term deal.