Troy Hill agrees to deal with Browns to become sixth Rams defender to exit
The Cleveland Browns apparently liked what they saw in the 2020 Rams secondary.
On Thursday, three days after they signed former Rams safety John Johnson, the Brown agreed to terms with cornerback Troy Hill on a multi-year contract, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who didn’t have authority to speak publicly.
Hill, 29, played for the Rams for five-plus seasons and intercepted seven passes. In 2020, he returned two interceptions and a fumble for touchdowns while playing in one of the NFL’s top defenses.
Hill’s departure was not unexpected by a Rams team that restructured contracts of star players to get under the salary cap, and then re-signed edge rusher Leonard Floyd and put a first-round tender on restricted free agent cornerback Darious Williams.
Hill played inside and outside for the Rams, who could fill the void with third-year pro David Long, second-year pro Terrell Burgess or players acquired through free agency or the draft.
Hill grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, before moving to Southern California in high school. He played in college at Oregon and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent before eventually finding an NFL home with the Rams.
As the second day of free agency began Thursday, the Rams had yet to make additional moves to upgrade the personnel that will surround Matthew Stafford.
He is the sixth defensive player to leave the Rams this offseason, joining Johnson, linebacker Samson Ebukam, defensive linemen Morgan Fox and Derek Rivers and defensive lineman Michael Brockers, who was traded to the Detroit Lions.
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