Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Todd Monken should be pleased with the current state of the franchise.
The club is riding a three-game winning streak and is tied for first in the AFC North; the defense is finding its footing under defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg; and the rookies are pulling their weight and working to outshine last year’s draft class.
Even quarterback Deshaun Watson, though he hasn’t put together a fully productive four quarters yet, has been good
enough when the Browns have needed him.
This isn’t the first trip around the block for Berry and Monken, of course, and they know that given Watson’s injury history, not to mention his overall poor play since arriving in town, they may need to call on another quarterback at a moment’s notice.
Which is why Berry made the mostly unsurprising move on Tuesday to open the 21-day practice window for quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who missed the past four games while on injured reserve with a back injury.
The transaction means that the Browns now have three weeks to either add Gabriel to the 53-man roster, put him back on injured reserve for the rest of the season, trade him, or release him.
Gabriel was last seen throwing for 186 yards and three touchdowns against the New England Patriots in the preseason finale despite not receiving a single practice rep with the first-team offense all summer.
The fact that Cleveland brought Gabriel back from injured reserve as soon as he was eligible could be a sign that Monken wants to ensure he has a viable backup quarterback on hand in case Watson stumbles in the coming weeks.
Gabriel was not the only familiar face returning, as the Browns also opened the practice window for defensive tackle Kalia Davis, who has been out since suffering a quadriceps injury during training camp.
The defensive tackle position has been dealing with injuries, as Mason Graham was knocked out of last week’s game against Pittsburgh with a sprained MCL and an ankle injury, and Mike Hall Jr. left with an ankle injury, although he was able to return to the field before the game was over and contributed a key sack of Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
In other transactions, the Browns signed wide receiver James Proche II after a tryout earlier in the day, and defensive tackle Chris Williams to the practice squad, while releasing running back Eric Gray, punter Wes Pahl, and offensive tackle Xavier Truss from the practice squad.
Proche was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020. He has played in 71 career games between the Ravens, Browns, and Tennessee Titans. He has served primarily as a kick returner, with 68 punt returns and 68 kickoff returns, although he does have 34 receptions for 364 yards on his account.
Williams originally signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He has played in 44 career games between the Colts and the Chicago Bears.
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