The Cleveland Browns have confirmed that they have released veteran defensive tackle Phil Taylor.

The AFC North side selected Taylor in the first round of the 2011 Draft, and the 27-year-old proved to be a solid contributor in his first three seasons at the club.

However, injuries limited him to just five games in the last campaign, and the Browns made the decision to release him as part of their roster cutdown due to the depth they have at the position.

"Given the depth that we had in that room, we knew we were going to have to make some difficult choices," head coach Mike Pettine told reporters.

"Just given the current circumstances of us needing to trim the roster down and where he was and how we felt about the room, we just felt it was the right decision for all involved."

Taylor has recorded 109 tackles and seven sacks in his four seasons in the NFL.