Tag: Brandin Bryant

Bills add Xavier Rhodes to practice squad, release Brandin Bryant, Isaiah Hodgins

#Bills add Xavier Rhodes to practice squad, release Brandin Bryant, Isaiah Hodgins:

The Buffalo Bills made a slew of roster transactions on Tuesday. The top two came via trade.

Just prior to the 4 p.m. 2022 NFL trade deadline, the Bills (6-1) made two deals. Buffalo sent running back Zack Moss and a draft pick to the Indianapolis Colts for running back Nyheim Hines. They also made a second, re-acquiring safety Dean Marlowe from the Atlanta Falcons.

With the dust settling on those, other roster moves were announced to fit everyone on their 53-man roster.

In addition to bringing Hines and Marlowe to the roster, Buffalo added cornerback Tre’Davious White to it. Earlier this week, the Bills said White would be brought up but it had not yet officially happened–Now it has.

Making room for all those were defensive tackle Brandin Bryant and receiver Isaiah Hodgins. They were released by the team.

Both players can eventually be brought back to the practice squad if the Bills chose to do so, however, the pair now must pass through waivers.

Any team can claim them before noon on Wednesday.

Finally, Buffalo made a change to their practice squad.

Cornerback Xavier Rhodes was reinstated to the practice squad from the PS injured reserve list. In a corresponding move, cornerback Jordan Miller was released from the taxi squad.

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Bills sign Brandin Bryant to one-year contract

#Bills sign Brandin Bryant to one-year contract:

Defensive tackle Brandin Bryant again signed with the Buffalo Bills.

The team announced the transaction on Tuesday. It’s a one-year deal.

Bryant was released prior to Buffalo’s recent 38-3 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bills had done so because they had to move players around their roster and practice squad in order to cover their depth needs due to injuries.

Bryant has appeared in games for Buffalo this year prior to his departure. The last one was the team’s 23-20 comeback win vs. the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4.

In three games this season, Bryant has three tackles.

It was not exactly a corresponding move, but a day prior the Bills did create an opening on their 53-man roster to sign Bryant. Cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram was released by the team.

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The Bills’ top-five grades from PFF against the Saints

The #Bills’ top-five grades from PFF against the #Saints:

Time to re-live the Buffalo Bills’ dominating 31-6 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

In Week 12, Pro Football Focus graded one offensive player and four defensives as the highest on the Bills.

While a game where quarterback Josh Allen did toss four touchdown passes and wide receiver Stefon Diggs did have another score himself… it was another wideout who appeared at the top of PFF’s list: Gabriel Davis.

Here’s the football analytics outlet’s top-five grades from Buffalo’s latest win

Davis was second on the Bills in yards with 47. He had two catches on three targets with a long of 26.

Davis’ impact isn’t in the passing game as much as he’s important to the Bills’ run-blocking schemes. Davis had a strong day backing New Orleans’ corners off the line.

Coming in at two is … who? Brandin Bryant, who made his Bills debut this season, recording one tackle and a quarterback hit.

The defensive tackle appeared in one game for the Bills in 2020 and four for Cleveland in 2019.

Back to some more recognizable names at three through five. Cornerback Taron Johnson led the Bills secondary with four tackles and a tackle for loss.

Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips had another strong performance in Star Lotulelei’s absence. Fellow tackle Ed Oliver was Buffalo’s best player on Thursday, collapsing the pocket repeatedly on Trevor Siemian.

The Bills defensive line had their best game in weeks against a battered Saints team, putting together two sacks and six quarterback hits.

The Saints averaged just 1.8 yards per rush against Buffalo without running back Alvin Kamara. It was just the type of performance expected and needed.

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Jordan Elliott has changed his jersey number

Elliott dumped the No. 61

Cleveland Browns third-round draft pick Jordan Elliott has a new uniform number. The defensive tackle from Missouri is now wearing No. 90 in the new brown and orange uniforms.

Elliott started out as No. 61 but changed upon his arrival for training camp. Interestingly, the No. 90 has been available since the team cut Brandin Bryant shortly after the draft. Bryant rocked the No. 90 in 2019. Elliott has even changed his Twitter handle to “90”.

Elliott wore No. 95 and No. 1 during his college career at Missouri. Neither of those were an option in Cleveland; Myles Garrett owns 95 and linemen are forbidden from wearing single digits in the NFL.

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Browns officially re-sign WR Rashard Higgins, waive DT Brandin Bryant

Browns officially re-sign WR Rashard Higgins, waive DT Brandin Bryant

The Browns made it official on Friday morning, re-signing wide receiver Rashard Higgins to a one-year deal. The move was reported over a week ago but finally completed after accommodations for the travel and personal contact restrictions currently in place for the coronavirus pandemic.

Higgins rejoins the Browns for a fifth season with the hopes that it will fare better than his fourth year in Cleveland. Higgins battled injuries and ex-coach Freddie Kitchens’ doghouse in a disappointing 2019 campaign that saw “Hollywood” catch just four passes in 10 games. It was a steep departure from a very promising 2018 when Higgins clicked with QB Baker Mayfield and caught 39 passes for 572 yards and four TDs.

In order to make room for Higgins on the roster, the Browns waived defensive tackle Brandin Bryant. The journeyman tackle played four games in 2019 after bouncing up and down from the practice squad. Cleveland was Bryant’s fourth NFL team in as many years and the only place where he earned any playing time.

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Brandin Bryant: What the Browns are getting in their new DT

Breaking down new Browns DT Brandin Bryant and what he offers Cleveland

The Cleveland Browns are experiencing issues along their defensive line and some of it is the result of injuries and some of it is the result of suspensions, but the defensive front has transformed from a strength to a potential liability. Due to the abundance of questions marks and lack of depth, the Browns have brought in reinforcements and below is a brief explanation of what the newly acquired Brandin Bryant has done and can do.

Height: 6-2

Weight: 289 pounds

Previous Team: Montreal Alouettes (CFL)

Bryant went undrafted in 2016 after having an unspectacular career at Florida Atlantic and wound up with the Seattle Seahawks. He has a fairly decent preseason with Seattle, but failed to make the final roster. The New York Jets snagged Bryant and placed him on their practice squad and he actually saw some time on their active roster during his rookie campaign. Bryant’s sophomore season was even less eventful as he was hurt during the preseason, landed on IR and was released from the IR.

After failing to land in the NFL, Bryant went up North in 2018 and played ten games for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was extremely successful, earning more and more playing time as the season went on and even tallied two sacks. By the end of the season, Bryant was facing double teams consistently. Bryant started 2019 with the Montreal Alouettes, but found his way to Cleveland in August and was relegated to the practice squad until this week.

Despite his less than ideal size, Bryant is better against the run than the pass and it is largely due to his strength and ability to anchor. Bryant has shown flashes of being a solid depth piece and shows superb quickness and solid hustle to chase after the play, but what really makes him a great fit for Cleveland is his attitude and work ethic. Bryant was noted as one of the more engaged and positive players during his days in Winnipeg.

Despite Bryant showing a few flashes here and there, they are not consistent enough to be the expectation. Bryant lacks the ideal size NFL teams want on the interior and at one point weighed over 300 pounds to better fit that role, but he sacrificed all of his quickness for the weight game and at that point was a complete liability when on the field.

Bryant looks like a brief solution to the defensive line issues and someone who will likely not be on the team once everyone returns, but this is one of the more intriguing mid-season acquisitions. It will be extremely interesting to see how Bryant plays now that he has transformed his game since his last NFL stint. Bryant is back to weighing in the 280-pound range and did a great job of chasing down plays in the CFL. Perhaps he can show he has learned a thing a two from his days up North.

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Browns promote Brandin Bryant, Porter Gustin from the practice squad

Browns promote Brandin Bryant, Porter Gustin from the practice squad in the wake of injuries and suspensions

Desperate for healthy and available bodies along the defensive line for Week 12, the Cleveland Browns promoted two defenders from the practice squad on Friday. Tackle Brandin Bryant and EDGE Porter Gustin are now on the active 53-man roster.

They fill roster spots vacant due to the suspensions of Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi. With EDGE Olivier Vernon also ruled out with his ongoing knee injury, the Browns are missing three of the four regular starters on the defensive line.

Bryant has been with the practice squad all season. He has previous experience with a handful of NFL teams as well as in the CFL. Gustin was signed to the practice squad following the trade of Genard Avery to the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s an undrafted rookie from USC who has primarily played outside linebacker in his career.

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