Browns claim DE Zettel off waivers

Zettel, 26, was waived by Detroit on Wednesday to make room for defensive end Romeo Okwara, who the Lions claimed from the New York Giants.

The Cleveland Browns claimed defensive end Anthony Zettel off waivers from the Detroit Lions, the Browns announced Thursday.

Zettel, 26, was waived by Detroit on Wednesday to make room for defensive end Romeo Okwara, who the Lions claimed from the New York Giants.

Zettel started all 16 games for the Lions last season, recording 6.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits and 43 tackles (11 for loss), but he lost his starting job this offseason to Kerry Hyder, who missed all of 2017 with a torn Achilles. A sixth-round pick in 2016, Zettel played in 13 games as a reserve that year, notching one sack.

His addition is the Browns' sixth via waivers since cutdown day last week. Cleveland let go of defensive end Carl Nassib -- a 2016 third-round pick and a former teammate of Zettel's at Penn State -- earlier this week to make room for a waiver claim. Nassib was claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Offensive lineman Aaron Neary, who arrived via waivers from the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, was waived to make room for Zettel. Neary, 25, went undrafted in 2016 and made his only NFL appearance last year with the Rams, a Week 17 start.