Dawgs By Nature
Cleveland rules out OT Jedrick Wills Jr. with a knee injury, elevates WR Kadarius Toney from the practice squad.
The Cleveland Browns made a series of roster moves on Saturday in final preparation for their game against the New Orleans Saints.
In perhaps the most surprising move, or at least the one involving the biggest name, the Browns ruled offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. out for the game as he continues to deal with a knee injury suffered a few weeks back against the Cincinnati Bengals.
That injury led Wills to make the “business decision” to sit out the following week against the Baltimore Ravens, providing an opportunity for the Browns to replace Wills in the starting lineup and see what Dawand Jones can do at left tackle.
While Jones has not exactly set the league on fire with his play — his PFF grades for the past two games have been below average — it seems clear the Browns are comfortable with sticking with the second-year player for now.
With Wills out, the Browns are down to Jones, Jack Conklin, and Germaine Ifedi as the only tackles on the active roster, which might be a bit risky given how injuries have plagued the offensive line all season.
In the other roster moves, the Browns signed defensive tackle Sam Kamara and defensive end Elerson Smith to the active roster from the practice squad. Kamara fills the spot vacated by the trade of defensive end Za’Darious Smith, while the club needs Elerson Smith after placing defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. on injured reserve with a knee injury suffered in practice this week.
The 6-foot-7 and 245-pound Smith was originally a fourth-round selection by the New York Giants in the 2021 NFL Draft. He appeared in 13 total games with the Giants, posting 11 tackles and two quarterback hits.
In the final move, the team elevated veteran wide receiver Kadarius Toney from the practice squad, where he has been sitting since the Browns signed him on September 9.
A former first-round selection by the Giants in 2021, Toney only played 12 games for the Giants before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs midway through the 2022 season. Things did not go much better in Kansas City, however, and through 32 career games, Toney has 82 receptions for 760 yards and three touchdowns.
Toney did see action on special teams with the Chiefs, primarily as a punt returner, which is where the Browns may be thinking of utilizing him against the Saints.
