Tag: Derrick Willies

Browns waive WR Derrick Willies along with other smaller NFL moves

Retired, now waived… Willies is no more for the Browns. A few other smaller moves (described as “amuse-bouche”) throughout the NFL the last couple of days as well:

With the Super Bowl over, a few roster moves are trickling in for the NFL. We’ve covered a number of players signing reserve/futures contracts with the Cleveland Browns including CB Herb Miller. Wednesday, the Atlanta Falcons released DE Dante Fowler freeing him up to sign with any team immediately.

Today comes even more movement with the Browns terminating WR Derrick Willies on waivers. Willies retired from the NFL near the end of offseason activities last year but was still on the team’s roster, on the reserve/retired list, throughout the season.

The 6’4″ receiver played in six games for the Browns hauling in three receptions for 61 yards.

Other moves (signings are for reserve/futures contracts) made the last two days in the NFL include:

  • Tampa Bay waiving OL Donnell Stanley and signing OL Brandon Walton
  • Washington waiving TE Tyrone Swoopes and OL Najee Toran
  • Las Vegas signing CB Cre’von LeBlanc
  • Miami signing WR River Cracraft
  • Chicago signing LS Beau Brinkley and P Ryan Winslow
  • Seattle signing RB Darwin Thompson
  • Los Angeles signing a variety of players including former Browns TE Kyle Markway

With the NFL Combine right around the corner, rumors will start to fly while these little moves provide an amuse-bouche in advance of the main courses that will come when the league year opens.

Derrick Willies placed on reserve/retired list by the Browns

The Browns lost a receiver to the reserve/retired list today. Thankfully, the team has a lot of depth and Willies was fighting for a chance to make the roster.

The Cleveland Browns have a lot of wide receivers in camp including a few who have been with the team for quite some time. Derrick Willies played all of his career games in Cleveland and, seemingly has played his last.

Willies played five games for the Browns in 2018 and one last season. He had three career receptions for 61 yards, all in 2018. At 6’4″, Willies was a quality size, speed style receiver coming out of Texas Tech where he caught 36 passes for over 600 yards and five touchdowns in two years.

Based on his college production, Willies has done well to stick around the NFL for a few seasons but it seems that he has retired based on Cleveland’s move today:

 

The Browns now have a training camp roster spot to fill. It will be interesting if they add another receiver, given their depth, or fill the roster at another position.

Stay tuned for any further information, if it becomes available, on moving Willies to the reserve/retired list today.

Browns sign 14 players from the practice squad to reserve/futures contracts

All but one of the practice squad members from last week signed

The Browns coaching and management must have liked what they saw on the practice fields late in the year. On Monday, the Browns signed nearly all of the active practice squad roster from the week of the AFC divisional playoff round to reserve/futures contracts.

The 14 players

S Elijah Benton (Liberty)

WR Ja’Marcus Bradley (Louisiana-Lafayette)

TE Jordan Franks (Central Florida)

CB A.J. Green (Oklahoma State)

G Cordel Iwuagwu (Texas Christian)

QB Kyle Lauletta (Richmond)

DE Cameron Malveaux (Houston)

TE Kyle Markway (South Carolina)

K Matt McCrane (Kansas State)

LB Montrel Meander (Grambling State)

C Javon Patterson (Mississippi)

FB Johnny Stanton (UNLV)

T Alex Taylor (South Carolina State)

WR Derrick Willies (Texas Tech)

The only practice squad player from last week who did not sign with the team is CB Donovan Olumba, who was signed during last week.

Players signed to a reserve/future contract can be added to an NFL team’s roster when it expands from 53 to 90 players for the offseason on the first day of the NFL’s business year. That takes place on March 17. It ties them to the Browns through that period instead of them being street free agents.

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Browns sign WR Derrick Willies to the practice squad

Willies played for the Browns as an undrafted rookie in 2018

Days after working him out, the Cleveland Browns officially welcomed wide receiver Derrick Willies back to the Dawg Pound on Monday. The team signed the wide receiver to the practice squad.

Willies played for the Browns in 2018, making the team as an undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech. At 6-foot-4, he brought size and some playmaking sizzle to the Browns. Willies played in five games as a rookie and hauled in three catches for 61 yards before going on injured reserve.

He failed to make the active roster in 2019, instead spending the season on the Browns’ practice squad. The 26-year-old has not been on any other team’s active roster.

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Browns work out WR Derrick Willies, 2 others this week

Willies spent 2018-2019 with the Browns including a stint on the active roster

The Cleveland Browns brought in a familiar face for a tryout this week. Wide receiver Derrick Willies was back in Berea for a workout with the team, one of three players the Browns auditioned this week per the NFL’s transaction reports.

Willies made the Browns in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech. He caught three passes for 61 yards in limited duty as a rookie before getting hurt and ending the season on injured reserve. Willies then participated with the Browns in the 2019 preseason but failed to make the final roster. The 6-foot-4 wideout spent the 2019 campaign on the Browns’ practice squad.

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The Browns also worked out Cale Garrett and Marcus Green.

Garrett is a linebacker from Missouri. Green played wide receiver at Louisiana-Monroe and was a sixth-round draft pick by the Falcons in 2019. He led the NCAA in kick return yardage and TDs in his junior season for the Warhawks.