The Browns made a handful of roster moves this morning. The team announced that they’ve activated defensive end Chase Winovich from injured reserve and placed guard Michael Dunn on IR. The team also promoted linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. and safety MikeBrown from the practice squad.
Winovich had 11 sacks through his first two seasons in the NFL but was in New England’s dog house in 2021, leading to an offseason trade to Cleveland. The defensive lineman got into two games this season with the Browns before suffering a hamstring injury in September. The injury ultimately landed Winovich on injured reserve for a few months, with the defensive end returning to practice earlier this month.
Dunn has appeared in eight games (two starts) for Cleveland this year. A back issue forced the offensive lineman to miss Week 10, and the injury will now require him to miss at least four more games. Drew Forbes and Hjalte Froholdt can help soak up some of the snaps at offensive guard.
Defensive backs D’Anthony Bell and Greg Newsome are recovering from concussions, so Brown will provide some extra depth in the secondary. The former Miami (Ohio) product joined the Browns practice squad back in October. Carter had 88 tackles in 17 starts for the Panthers last season. The linebacker was promoted for Cleveland’s Week 10 loss to the Dolphins and finished with a pair of special teams tackles.
After adding 10 rookies via the draft, the Vikings have added nine more through free agency. The organization announced the signing of nine undrafted free agents:
The Vikings were apparently eager to add a pair of defenders. According to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter), McCloud will earn $250K in guaranteed money, including a $225K base salary. The Miami Hurricanes standout finished his collegiate career with 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, increasing his career numbers to 22.5 TFLs and 10 sacks.
Per PFF’s Doug Kyed on Twitter, the Vikings also gave Vilain $227K in guaranteed money. The linebacker had a breakout campaign after transferring from Michigan to Wake Forest, finishing the 2021 season with eight sacks and nine tackles for loss.