HEADLINES

Siaki Ika

Browns Release RB D’Onta Foreman, Trim Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns kept four quarterbacks on their active roster, using other position groups to make their way down to 53. Here is how Cleveland maneuvered there:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:

Placed on reserve/non-football injury list:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

Placed on commissioner exempt list:

Kevin Stefanski pointed to Foreman not being out of the picture, alluding this only being the team’s initial 53-man roster. The veteran back, who signed as a depth/rotational option this offseason, should be expected back, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweets. Teams can use up to six practice squad slots on vested veterans. This is Foreman’s fourth team in four years, but he has managed to play regular roles for each. The Browns also have their two other high-profile options — Chubb and Hines — out for at least four games, as they recover from 2023 injuries.

Cleveland considered trading Jameis Winston or Tyler Huntley, with second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson showing enough improvement to have made the 53-man roster. But the team stopped short and made the rare move to carry four active-roster arms. One of the non-Deshaun Watson passers could be vulnerable, however, as the waiver wire will come into play soon. Winston and Huntley are vested vets and would head straight to free agency if released; Thompson-Robinson would need to pass through waivers. Teams often prioritize those players on cutdown day.

Hall is out of the picture for the foreseeable future, as his legal issue runs its course, and Wypler is out for the year with a broken ankle. The Browns designated Dunn for return. This will cut into Cleveland’s eight injury activations, and while the veteran blocker will miss at least four games, the team prioritized his comeback enough to use this early designation. Dunn has been with the team since 2020.

Latest On Browns’ DL Depth

July 15th, 2024 at 8:57pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns used a third-round pick on Siaki Ika only last year, but it’s uncertain if the defensive tackle will even make it to his second year in Cleveland. Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that Ika is likely on the roster bubble heading into training camp.

Ika had an inconsistent role at LSU before establishing himself as an NFL prospect during his time at Baylor. The defensive lineman earned a pair of first-team All-Big 12 nods during his time with the Bears, collecting six sacks and eight tackles for loss. That performance helped make him a top-100 pick in the 2023 draft, as Ika ultimately was selected by the Browns at No. 98.

Unfortunately, the rookie was completely buried on the depth chart for much of his rookie campaign. He was inactive through the first 13 games of the season, with the Browns finally activating him when their injury issues became untenable. He got into about a third of his team’s defensive snaps in his four appearances down the stretch, and he also made an appearance in Cleveland’s playoff loss.

Ika’s role heading into training camp isn’t any more clear than it was last season. The team used draft picks on second-round DL Michael Hall Jr. and seventh-round DL Jowon Briggs, added veteran Quinton Jefferson, and re-signed Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst. With Dalvin Tomlinson also in place atop the depth chart, there might not be much room for Ika on the team’s initial 53-man roster.

There are some good signs, however. Easterling notes that Ika looked “much more trim” and “more muscular” during the team’s offseason program. It’s uncertain if conditioning was an issue for the six-foot-three, 335-pound lineman, but a reworked workout regimen could go a long way in helping him stick in Cleveland.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/23

May 11th, 2023 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

With many rookie minicamps set to start tomorrow, teams were busy today inking draft picks to contracts. We’ve compiled those signings below:

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • DT Cameron Young (fourth round, Mississippi State)
  • C Olusegun Oluwatimi (fifth round, Michigan)
  • S Jerrick Reed II (sixth round, New Mexico)

Tennessee Titans

  • TE Josh Whyle (fifth round, Cincinnati)
  • OT Jaelyn Duncan (sixth round, Maryland)
  • WR Colton Dowell (seventh round, Tennessee-Martin)