The Cleveland Browns have a talented roster, one that when healthy looks to be capable of making a deep postseason run.
Being healthy is the key part.
The Browns have more than a dozen players who are nursing injuries in practice on the 53-man roster, more than most teams have this time of the season.
Cleveland is constantly looking at ways to open slots on the roster for short-term solutions that will address their injury situation, which could be one of the reasons the Browns made two moves on Thursday.
Analyst Kelsey Russo shared on X the news that the Browns waived two players today, cutting ties with safety Chase Williams from the practice squad and surprisingly waiving draft pick Nathaniel “Bookie” Watson from the 53-man roster.
#Browns announce they waived LB Nathaniel Watson, and also waived S Chase Williams from injured reserve
— Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) September 19, 2024
Waiving Watson is a surprise move as the defender survived the initial 53-man cutdown day.
Watson was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 at Mississippi State, and the Browns made him the team’s sixth-round selection in April.
The linebacker had been on the special teams unit in both games this season, playing exclusively in that role against Dallas and Jacksonville.
In addition to adding players in place of injured starters, this move could also be in preparation for another rookie – defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. – to return to the roster.
Currently, Hall is still on the NFL Commissioner’s Exempt list, meaning he cannot participate in games for Cleveland.
Hall pleaded no contest to charges in court on Thursday morning, and the league released a statement that the defender remained on the Commissioner’s list.
Williams is also a rookie, and he’s been on and off the Browns’ roster twice now.
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