Tag: Browns roster moves

Browns waive newcomer Damion Willis after failing his physical

Willis was on the Browns roster less than 24 hours

Damion Willis, we hardly knew ye.

On Sunday morning, the Cleveland Browns waived Willis, a wide receiver who joined the team on Saturday after being claimed off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the week. Willis failed his physical with the team. No exact reason or specific injury was cited for Willis in failing the physical.

Willis had officially joined the team on Saturday after passing through the required COVID-19 protocols. The Browns waived D.J. Montgomery to make room for Willis.

The Browns also waived center Casey Dunn from injured reserve, a move that does not count against the team’s 80-man roster.

Damion Willis officially added, D.J. Montgomery waived as Browns swap WRs

Willis passed through his COVID protocols and joined the team

The Browns waiver claim on WR Damion Willis is now official. Willis cleared his two days of COVID-19 protocols and joined the team for Saturday’s afternoon practice.

Willis was claimed off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals during the week. He’s now on the team’s 80-man active roster, with one week to go before the roster cutdown to just 53.

To make room for Willis, the Browns waived fellow WR D.J. Montgomery. The second-year undrafted wideout is now subject to waiver claims of his own.

Willis offers the Browns some size and a little experience in the slot. He started the first two games of the 2019 season as an undrafted rookie for the Bengals.

Browns sign C Jon Toth, place DE Curtis Weaver on IR

Toth has been on the Jets and Eagles practice squads over the last three years

A few days after working out several offensive linemen, the Browns have signed free agent center Jon Toth.

Toth joins the Browns after spending the 2019 season on the practice squads with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, where he finished the season. He entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie from Kentucky following the 2017 NFL Draft and has spent most of his time with the Eagles. The 26-year-old Toth has yet to be on an active NFL roster during any of his three NFL seasons.

In order to make room for Toth on the active roster, the team quickly moved Curtis Weaver to injured reserve. Weaver was claimed off waivers from Miami earlier this week. The Dolphins waived the fifth-round rookie with injury designation in hopes of getting Weaver to their own injured reserve but the Browns claimed him instead. His rookie season is now over.

Damion Willis: What the Browns are getting in their new WR

Scouting report on new Browns WR Damion Willis

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The Cleveland Browns managed to pillage a former starting wide receiver from the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns claimed Damion Willis off waivers from Cincinnati on Wednesday. He will be added to Cleveland’s roster once he passes through the COVID-19 protocols.

What are the Browns getting in Willis?

It’s overselling Willis in labeling him a former starter. While technically true — he indeed started for the Bengals in Weeks 1 and 2 in 2019 — the 23-year-old Willis played just 239 total offensive snaps. That’s still impressive for an undrafted rookie from Troy and speaks to Willis’s upside.

At 6-4 and 204 listed pounds, Willis is a long, lean receiver. The Bengals used him primarily outside but he did get some reps as their big slot, and that’s where he was most effective in Cincinnati. It’s probably his best fit in Cleveland, too.

He has speed (4.48 40-yard dash at his pro day) but it’s fairly straight-line, and that shows in his route-running. Willis can make catches away from his body and uses his length well to present himself as a big target. While he’s not a muscular guy, Willis can fight for contested throws and hang on through contact. He’s flashed the ability to climb the ladder and catch high throws. There’s not a lot of wiggle or power after the catch.

Willis is a Last Chance U. alum prior to attending Troy. It speaks to his character and drive that he went from there to starting in the NFL in Week 1 as an undrafted rookie. Hopefully, Willis gets a chance to show the Browns something in the limited time left in training camp.

Browns claim WR Damion Willis off waivers from the Bengals

Willis started 2 games for CIN as a rookie in 2019

The Browns added another wide receiver to the roster on Wednesday. Former Cincinnati Bengals starter Damion Willis was assigned to the Browns via a waiver claim.

Willis was a surprise cut by the Bengals this week. He started Cincinnati’s first two games of 2019 as an undrafted rookie from Troy. In 10 total games, Willis caught nine passes for 82 yards. He did not play in either game between the Browns and Bengals a year ago.

Due to a technicality, Willis is not yet officially on the Browns roster. He won’t count against the roster limit until he is cleared after undergoing COVID-19 testing. Because of that, the Browns do not yet have to make a move to open a roster spot for Willis.

Browns claim rookie DE Curtis Weaver from waivers

Weaver was Miami’s fifth-round pick in April out of Boise State

The Cleveland Browns have claimed rookie defensive end Curtis Weaver off waivers from the Miami Dolphins. The NFL Network and Sirius XM NFL Radio both confirmed the initial report from Tom Pelissero. The move has yet to appear on the NFL’s official transactions, however.

Weaver was Miami’s fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Boise State. He was waived with injury designation on Monday. The Dolphins were hopeful Weaver would go unclaimed and revert to their injured list, but the Browns swooped him up instead. As Kyle Crabbs of Dolphins Wire noted,

Yes, Miami waived Curtis Weaver, but the team did so with an injury designation, meaning the team is intending to retain Weaver’s services but place him on the injured reserve list for the 2020 season. Weaver, who suffered a foot injury during Saturday’s padded practice, is the Mountain West career leader in sacks after his time at Boise State and was widely considered a top-100 prospect in April’s draft before tumbling down to pick No. 164.

The Browns had an open roster spot after officially placing safety Grant Delpit on injured reserve with his torn Achilles.

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Browns sign veteran LB Malcolm Smith

The Browns signed former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith on Sunday

The Browns have made an addition to the linebacking corps. The team signed former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith to a contract on Sunday.

Terms of the deal with Smith are undisclosed. The veteran spent last season between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys. He had auditioned for the Browns earlier this week and signed once he cleared COVID-19 protocols.

Browns sign DT Ricky Walker

Walker is in his second season out of Virginia Tech

The Cleveland Browns added another player to the defensive line on Saturday. The team signed free agent Ricky Walker to a contract and added Walker to the active roster.

Walker is in his second NFL season out of Virginia Tech. He was undrafted in 2019 but signed shortly thereafter by the Dallas Cowboys. He played through the preseason but did not make Dallas’ final roster. The 6-2, 301-pounder also had a run with the Tampa Bay Vipers in the short-lived XFL.

The Browns had an open roster spot after waiving DE George Obinna during the week. Cleveland’s roster is back at the 80-man camp limit. Walker tried out for the Browns on Wednesday and cleared all COVID-19 protocols in order to be signed on Saturday.

Browns waive DE George Obinna, now have an open roster spot

Obinna was re-signed to the team last week

George Obinna’s second stint with the Cleveland Browns didn’t even last a full week. The Browns waived the defensive end with injury designation just before Tuesday’s practice session.

Obinna is an undrafted rookie from Sacramento State who was initially signed right after the 2020 NFL Draft. He was waived in July but then re-signed on August 13th.

The roster spot he occupied remains vacant as of Wednesday morning. At just 79 players, the move leaves the Browns with some wiggle room to bring in a potential replacement for injured LB Mack Wilson, who is expected to miss significant time with his hyperextended left knee.

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Browns sign center Casey Dunn, waive OG Jovahn Fair

Dunn played under Browns OL coach Bill Callahan in Washington

Casey Dunn’s audition for the Cleveland Browns on Saturday turned into a job for the center on Sunday. Just before the start of Sunday morning’s practice session, the Browns signed the free agent center to a contract.

To make room for Dunn, the team waived guard Jovahn Fair. His tenure with the Browns lasted less than a week.

Dunn is a familiar face for Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan. He began his career in Washington in 2018 while Callahan was the interim head coach of the Football Team, playing in two games. He spent most of the 2019 season on the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad.

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