The Cleveland Browns will release safety John Johnson III at the start of the league year on March 15, barring a trade, according to a Tuesday tweet from NFL Network Reporter Mike Garafolo.

“Still young at 27, he'll have interest once free,” wrote Garafolo.

Johnson, who was selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams, started in every one of the 17 games he played for the Browns this season. According to Pro Football Reference, he played in 90% or more of the team's defensive snaps in all but two games and in every snap on defense on 10 different occasions.

John Johnson III is in the final year of a three-year, 33.75 million contract he signed with the Browns in 2021 before his release. $13.25 million was guaranteed at signing, including his signing bonus and 2021 salary, according to Spotrac. He started in all 16 games for the Rams in his fourth year with the team, earning 105 tackles, 73 solo tackles, two tackles for loss, eight deflected passes and one interception.

He would join 24-year-old safety Grant Delpit, who was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft out of LSU. The second-year safety played in 17 games and started in 16 in 2022, racking up 105 tackles, 72 solo tackles, four tackles for loss and four interceptions.

The Browns recently hired defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to replace Joe Woods, who was fired in January after two consecutive losing seasons.

Schwartz highlighted his plans for defensive end Myles Garrett and beyond during his Browns introductory press conference.

“We are going to work real hard at it,” Schwartz said. “He is going to play his part. I have been very fortunate over my career to be blessed with some really good defensive linemen.

“We run a very D-line-friendly scheme that eliminates a lot of conflict for those guys, and we were able to play guys off of that.”