Report: Second ACL tear was too much for WR Isaiah Weston to overcome

Weston’s agent speaks on why the second-year receiver hung up his cleats.

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News came down the pipeline that the former undrafted free agent and Cleveland Browns wide receiver had announced his retirement at just the age of 25. Entering just his second season in the NFL, Weston was coming off of his second ACL tear that he suffered during training camp a year ago.

And that was too steep of a recovery for the former Northern Iowa receiver with a sky-high athletic ceiling.

His agent Harold Lewis told Brad Stainbrook of The OBR that his second career tear was just too much for him to continue playing:

“It was a lot for him coming back from his second ACL surgery… It just felt like it was time to move on, unfortunately. He’s a great kid and had a huge upside.”

We wish Weston nothing but the best of luck as he enters the next phase of his journey.

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Browns WR Isaiah Weston placed on reserve/retired list

The injuries may have taken too big of a toll

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After multiple ACL injuries, including one a summer ago during training camp with the Cleveland Browns, wide receiver Isaiah Weston appears to have hung up his cleats. The team placed Weston on the reserve/retired list today as OTAs continue to trek along. Weston has been on the sideline during OTAs, but the recovery may have just been too much for him.

An undrafted free agent out of the University of Northern Iowa, Weston is a freak athlete who just could not stay on the field throughout his collegiate career. We wish Weston the best of luck as he looks toward his life after football.

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4 Browns change their numbers entering the 2023 season

Four Browns players have changed their look for this season.

After adding a couple of handfuls of talent in free agency, the Cleveland Browns announced the numbers for the newest members of their team. Along with those new players, however, four current players like defensive end Alex Wright have changed their number. Wright announced his number change last week, as new defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson presumably paid the second-year player a pretty penny for the number.

However, three more players changed their numbers as well as they enter the 2023 season. Here are the four players who changed their numbers and what they will now be sporting for the Browns this season.

Browns waive injured WR Isaiah Weston, sign WR Derrick Dillon

Weston waived and his replacement was signed as the Browns continue to adjust to numerous WR injuries:

While the Cleveland Browns have been the focal point of the news on Monday, they went back to work with business as usual. The team now knows that QB Deshaun Watson will be suspended for six games, barring an appeal and change by the league.

QB Jacoby Brissett will lead the way in Watson’s absence.

Earlier today, we reported that OL Jack Conklin was coming off the physically unable to perform list. Conklin’s presence will help Brissett early in the year as the right tackle returns from a season-ending knee injury last year.

Cleveland also waived WR Isaiah Weston a couple of days after he was hurt in practice. Weston could be claimed by another team. If not, the undrafted free agent will be placed on the Browns injured reserve.

Weston’s replacement was added to the team’s 90-man roster with WR Derrick Dillon officially signed by the team. Dillon was brought in earlier this offseason in the same workout that led QB Josh Rosen to be signed.

Standing 5’11”, Dillon is known for his speed. He ran a 4.29 at LSU’s pro day. Already 26, Dillon left LSU in 2019 with 51 catches in 31 career games.

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Another WR down: Weston leaves on cart, significant injury feared

Another WR goes down with an injury, this time feared to be serious:

Injuries are a part of football. A very physical sport with very big people moving very fast is bound to lead to people getting hurt. When injuries become problematic is either when they hit the top-level players on a team or when they hit a specific position group especially hard.

For the Cleveland Browns, the latter has been a problem during the first week of training camp. The wide receiver position, which wasn’t considered overall deep to begin with, has been hit with a few important injuries.

The first two, David Bell and Anthony Schwartz, are not expected to be major but could cost each player important practice time. For Bell as a rookie, early assimilation is important. For Schwartz, getting confidence back after a rough rookie year would be vital.

On Saturday another injury happened at the position with Isaiah Weston being carted off with what seemed to be something serious:

According to Brad Stainbrook, the injury is to his ACL but may not be a complete tear.

Weston was a very interesting undrafted free agent addition for the team. At 6’3″, Weston ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He has the best athletic score of all receivers since 1987.

With the Browns off on Sunday, we are unlikely to get official word from the team until they return on Monday.

UDFA WR Isaiah Weston has attributes to steal a roster spot from Michael Woods II

The undrafted Weston is a real threat to the drafted Woods when the 53-man roster is finalized if he can live up to his athletic testing:

The Cleveland Browns were tied to a number of wide receivers in the ramp-up to the NFL draft. Before the Deshaun Watson trade, most believed the team would select one with the thirteenth overall pick. Once that selection was traded, it was assumed that one of their first two picks would be receivers despite having traded for Amari Cooper.

Instead, Cleveland traded down out of the second round and waited until late in the third round to select David Bell out of Purdue. Bell has a skillset that may put him in a position to replace Jarvis Landry as the Browns slot receiver.

Later in the draft, Michael Woods II was added. A different style of receiver, Woods is more of an outside receiver with sideline skills. As a sixth-round pick, Woods’ isn’t a sure bet to make the team’s initial 53-man roster but would seem to have a strong chance.

Along with Cooper, Bell and Woods, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz, Ja’Marcus Bradley and Javon Wims are at the top of the team’s pass catcher depth chart.

WR Isaiah Weston was one of the more interesting undrafted free agents by the team. At 6’3″, Weston exploded at the NFL combine with a 4.42 40-yard dash to go along with elite traits in all the other measurables. His athletic score ranked seventh best out of all receivers since 1987.

At the FCS level, Weston outperformed Christian Watson, who was drafted near the top of the second round. It would not be shocking if Watson to Weston, not Woods, was seen more in 2022:

The 6’3″, 214-pounder verified his NFL potential when he blazed a 4.42 40-yard dash and jumped out of the gym with a 40-inch vertical and 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump. He perfectly fits the big-play sideline threat Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has grown used to maximizing in his time at Clemson and in Houston.

While Woods did get drafted, Cleveland added a big, fast lottery ticket, reportedly, as an undrafted free agent.

Browns undrafted free agent additions list based on reports

Keeping track of all the reported undrafted free agent signings. So far, 12 have been reported by numerous sources including a former basketball player, a Watson training partner, a highly athletic receiver and more:

The Cleveland Browns added nine draft picks to an already loaded roster. With not a lot of space remaining on the team’s 90-man roster, we could see some players waived as veteran free agents and undrafted ones are added to the roster.

As a quick recap, here are the nine players drafted in the 2022 NFL draft:

  • CB Martin Emerson
  • DE Alex Wright
  • WR David Bell
  • DT Perrion Winfrey
  • K Cade York
  • RB Jerome Ford
  • WR Michael Woods II
  • DE Isaiah Thomas
  • OL Dawson Deaton

Shortly after every draft, there is a run on players signing as undrafted free agents. Sometimes we even hear about the signings before the draft has even ended. Last year, Marvin Wilson was the big-name addition for the Browns but he didn’t make the roster.

Based on reports, here is who is joining Cleveland’s roster or getting a tryout after not getting drafted including a QB who has been working out with Deshaun Watson and Tyrod Taylor, a basketball player turned tight end, a defensive lineman getting a money guarantee and a very athletic receiver:

Colts’ 7-round mock draft after first wave of free agency

Following the first wave of free agency, here’s a 7-round mock draft for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts have gotten through the first wave of free agency and while we still don’t know who the quarterback is, it’s about time for another mock draft.

As expected, the Colts have been pretty quiet on the free agency front. They made a splash play in trading for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue but have made little moves elsewhere. They re-signed four players while adding cornerback Brandon Facyson from free agency on a one-year deal.

With the first wave of free agency now through, here’s an updated look at a full, seven-round mock draft for the Colts using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator: