Browns lose defender to IR, make additional moves

The Cleveland Browns made several roster moves on Thursday.

The most notable was placing second-year linebacker Nathaniel Watson on injured reserve with a biceps injury. A sixth-round selection by the Browns in the 2024 NFL Draft, Watson appeared in 14 games as a rookie, mostly on special teams, but did make one start.

Because he landed on injured reserve before next week’s roster cutdown, Watson is not eligible to return, meaning his season is over.

Watson’s injury is just the latest hit that Cleveland has taken at the linebacker position. They previously placed Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on season-ending injured reserve with a neck injury, saw 10-year veteran Jordan Hicks retire at the outset of training camp, and seven-year veteran Devin Bush is dealing with simple assault and harassment charges in Pennsylvania.

Cleveland also signed three players:

• Wide receiver Chase Cota, who was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2023. The 6-foot-4 and 205-pound Cota has yet to play in an NFL game while spending time on the practice squads of the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans.
• Linebacker Marvin Moody, who spent time with the Browns last summer. The 6-foot-1 and 240-pound Moody has yet to play in the NFL, but did play the past two seasons with the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL.
• Linebacker Charlie Thomas III, who was originally signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He played in four games with Cleveland in 2023, logging 40 snaps on special teams.

Finally, in a move that is a little bit surprising given that the Browns are reportedly in the market for a running back, the team waived running back Toa Taua.