The Facts: The Browns on Monday announced that Hawkins has been released.

Diehards Line: Hawkins, who turns 31 next month, played a leadership role for a young team last season and caught 33 passes. He had his best year with the Browns in 2014, when he caught 63 passes for 824 yards and two touchdowns. The Browns pursued Hawkins in 2014 as a restricted free agent and officially brought him on board when the Bengals did not match the offer sheet. He had gone from the CFL and a Michael Irvin reality show to finally catching on with the Bengals in 2011 and playing a significant role in 2012, when he had 51 catches and four touchdowns. The Browns drafted four wide receivers last year, a sign that Hawkins was probably in his final year with the team. He also played under Browns coach Hue Jackson when Jackson was an assistant with the Bengals.