Browns Audition Darrion Weems
- The Browns worked out offensive tackle Darrion Weems on Friday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Weems, 28, had played on roughly a third of Denver’s offensive snaps this season before being waived last week, but graded as one of the worst interior lineman in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
Browns Promote DB Darius Hillary
The Browns signed defensive back Darius Hillary to the active roster from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the team cut defensive lineman Gabe Wright. 
Hillary was in a tight battle for the Bengals’ final cornerback spot this offseason but just missed the cut. Although he was dropped from the roster in early September, he eventually found his way to the Browns’ practice squad. Fun fact: Hillary’s father, Ira, played with the Bengals as a wide receiver.
Hillary will now join safety Ed Reynolds and cornerbacks Tramon Williams, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, and Marcus Burley as the Browns’ reserve secondary players. The Browns are starting Joe Haden and Jamar Taylor at cornerback with Derrick Kindred at free safety and Ibraheim Campbell at strong safety.
Wright has appeared in three games this season, recording two tackles and one pass defensed.
Browns, Terrelle Pryor Begin Extension Talks
The Browns have engaged in initial extension negotiations with wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, sources tell Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Pryor is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
[RELATED: Robert Griffin III Won’t Require Surgery]
Pryor, 27, has become an offensive force in his first full season as a wide receiver, posting 33 receptions for 413 yards and three touchdowns. He’s also helped out at quarterback, tossing five passes for 41 yards, and has run the ball as a Wildcat option, putting up 21 yards and a score. And Pryor has expressed a willingness — and more precisely, a wish — to stay in Cleveland for the long-term, as he explained earlier this season.
“I respect him very highly and if Hue Jackson’s here, I’d love to stay here,” Pryor told Cabot in September. “I want to be here if Hue’s going to be here for awhile, because I know this is a building process — and it’s not really. We’re right the there. We’re competing with everybody, we’ve just got to put teams away and I’d like to be where Hue’s at.”
In the midst of a complete personnel overhaul, the Browns have been jettisoning veterans since the club’s new regime took over this spring, and let free agents such as Mitchell Schwartz, Alex Mack, Tashaun Gipson, and Travis Benjamin leave for other teams earlier this year. Whether Pryor is enticing enough to Cleveland’s front office to warrant a new deal is to be determined, but the team has enough money to lure him in. With nearly $50MM available for 2016, and more than $65MM in space free for the 2017 campaign, Cleveland ranks among the league leaders in financial wiggle room.
A restricted free agent, Pryor is currently earning $1.671MM after signing a qualifying offer during the offseason. He’d certainly be in for a raise via an extension, as starting wide receivers pulled in at least $5MM annually on the open market this spring. The Browns would also have the option of assigning Pryor the franchise tag, but that would come at a cost north of $15MM.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/16
Tuesday’s practice squad transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB/KR Asa Jackson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Darius Hillary, WR Jordan Leslie
- Cut: E.J. Bibbs
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Quentin Gause, TE Steven Scheu (Twitter link via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post)
- Cut: WR Mose Frazier, LB Richard Cliett
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Brandon Chubb
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Marcus Leak, CB Frankie Williams
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Jamil Douglas (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
- Cut: OL Ian Silberman
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DL Royce LaFrance (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The Advocate)
New York Giants
- Signed: LS Tyler Ott
- Cut: DB Doran Grant
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Don Cherry
- Cut: G Darrell Greene
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR DeAndre Smelter
- Cut: WR Dres Anderson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Justin Hamilton (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
- Cut: DE Sterling Bailey
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Russell Hansbrough (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
RGIII Won’t Require Surgery
Good news for RG3. Doctors say that the Browns quarterback’s left shoulder is showing signs of healing and believe he will not require surgery, sources tell ESPN.com’s Jeff Darlington. However, Griffin’s prescribed plan of action could change if he suffers an unforeseen setback. 
In the Browns’ season opener, Griffin went down with a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder. The initial word was that it would be “very tough” for Griffin to return, but today’s news could mean that the door is open for him to return this season. Technically, Griffin could suit up on Nov. 10 against the Ravens. However, it’s too early to tell whether that is a realistic possibility for the 26-year-old.
Cody Kessler, a third-round pick, has taken over the starting quarterback job in Cleveland. The gig was initially handed to Josh McCown when Griffin went down, but the veteran suffered a serious injury of his own last month.
Thanks to injuries and a bizarre final season in Washington, Griffin has appeared in just 10 games since the end of the 2013 season.
Browns G Joel Bitonio Done For Season
Browns guard Joel Bitonio had surgery on Monday to repair the Lisfrance injury in his right foot, ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon tweets. The surgery rules Bitonio out for the 2016 season but he should be able to take part in all of the team’s offseason work prior to the 2017 season. 
Bitonio was placed formally placed on IR last week. A late-season return was on the table thanks to the new IR rules, but it’s not possible now after the offensive lineman went under the knife. Of course, when your team is winless through six games, there’s not much incentive to rush back and risk further injury.
In other Browns news, safety Jordan Poyer has been placed on IR, per a team announcement. Taking his place will be fellow safety Ed Reynolds who was promoted from the practice squad. Poyer suffered a lacerated kidney against the Titans on Sunday and had to be transported to a hospital before halftime. Through six games, Poyer recorded 37 tackles, matching his career high set in 2015.
Browns’ Jordan Poyer Suffers Lacerated Kidney
A full-time starter for the first time in his career, Jordan Poyer may not return to the Browns’ lineup for a while after suffering a lacerated kidney against the Titans.
The 25-year-old safety was transported to a Nashville, Tenn.-area hospital before halftime, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports, and he will remain there overnight for observation. The Browns announced Poyer as being in stable condition. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the team believes this is a serious laceration and expects Poyer to miss the rest of the season.
A collision with Titans fullback Antonio Andrews on special teams caused the injury and induced the Browns to evaluate the fourth-year free safety for a concussion. The team has yet to announce whether Poyer sustained one, however, according to Ulrich. Rookie UDFA Tracy Howard filled in for Poyer after he left the game.
Multiple high-profile wide receivers — Keenan Allen and Miles Austin — suffered kidney lacerations in the past two seasons, Austin in 2014 and Allen last season. Neither played again that year. Allen missed eight Chargers games, and Austin was sidelined for four Browns contests.
Poyer has 37 tackles this season to match his career high set last season.
Browns’ Joe Thomas Won’t Request Trade
With the Nov. 1 trade deadline approaching, Browns left tackle Joe Thomas seems like a logical target for contending teams in need of offensive line help. However, Thomas wants to remain with the Browns and will not request a trade, a source close to the nine-time Pro Bowler told Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.
As of two weeks ago, rival clubs were determining what it would take for the Browns to deal the 31-year-old Thomas. Cleveland’s new regime has been reluctant to move him — and Thomas himself didn’t request a trade over the offseason — but considering the Browns’ 0-5 start, it’s possible a trade could materialize.
Thomas nearly became a Bronco at last year’s deadline, but the Browns turned down an offer of edge rusher Shane Ray and a second-round pick, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. Other reports at last year’s deadline indicated that Denver was willing to ship a first- and second-rounder to Cleveland for Thomas and a fourth-rounder.
If Thomas ends up on the move this year, an acquiring team would be on the hook for the cap charges remaining on the seven-year, $84MM extension he signed in 2011. Thomas has a $9.5MM cap number for this year and a $10MM figure in each of the next two seasons, though there’s no dead money left on his deal.
Thomas, whom the Browns chose third overall in the 2007 draft, has been the franchise’s only consistent bright spot since his NFL career began. The former Wisconsin Badger has appeared in 149 straight games, all starts, but he has never played in a postseason contest. A trade could give him that opportunity, but if the future Hall of Famer has it his way, he’ll stay put.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Place Joel Bitonio On IR
The Browns have placed left guard Joel Bitonio on injured reserve with a mid-foot sprain, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. To take his place on the roster, fullback Dan Vitale has been signed off of the Buccaneers’ practice squad (link). 
Bitonio’s injury is likely season-ending, though the new IR rules could technically allow for him to return. If Bitonio was to come back, he would not be eligible to play for another eight weeks.
Last year, Bitonio was placed on IR in December when an ankle injury forced him out of action. He was rated as the No. 33 guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus when he was shut down last year. This year, through five games, PFF rated him as the ninth-best guard in the league (tied with Mike Iupati of the Cardinals). In 2016, he earned an overall grade of 83.3 with roughly even scores for his pass blocking and run blocking.
Vitale was a sixth-round pick of the Bucs this year. At Northwestern, Vitale racked up 135 catches for 1,427 receiving yards from 2012-15. He only carries the ball six times in college.
Browns’ Cody Kessler To Start Sunday
Browns quarterback Cody Kessler missed most of the team’s 33-13 loss to the Patriots last Sunday after departing in the first quarter with a rib injury, but the rookie will return to the lineup in Week 6. Head coach Hue Jackson announced Thursday that Kessler will start Sunday against the Titans.
“Cody Kessler practiced full. I think he’s ready to go,” said Jackson (via Patrick Maks of the team’s website).
Had Kessler not progressed this week, it’s unclear who would have started in Tennessee. The status of Josh McCown, whose Week 2 broken collarbone opened the door for Kessler, is up in the air as Sunday approaches. The only other signal-caller on the roster is rookie Kevin Hogan, whom the team promoted from the practice squad when it released veteran Charlie Whitehurst on Tuesday.
Despite beginning the year third behind the now-injured Robert Griffin III and McCown on Cleveland’s depth chart, Kessler has fared well during his initial NFL action. The third-round pick from USC has completed 54 of 81 passes (66.7 percent) for 529 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in starts against the Dolphins, Redskins and Patriots. The Browns lost each of those games and have begun a league-worst 0-5, and now the Kessler-led club will try to break into the win column against the 2-3 Titans.