Big hit: Browns release veteran safety Donte Whitner (Yahoo Sports)

A punishing hitter, safety Donte Whitner got flattened by the Browns. Cleveland released the 30-year-old Whitner on Saturday, the latest starter discarded by the team's new front office, which has spent the past month purging the roster. Whitner's release follows that of linebacker Karlos Dansby, the team's leading tackler last season, and the departures of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, former Pro Bowl safety Tashaun Gipson and wide receiver/return specialist Travis Benjamin, all of whom signed with other teams during free agency.