Cleveland Browns sign Christian Tupou, Josh Lenz; waive Christian Yount
By Thomas Moore
Aug 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Cleveland Browns long snapper Christian Yount (57) before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns signed defensive lineman Christian Tupou and wide receiver Josh Lenz on Saturday, general manager Ray Farmer announced on the team’s website.
The moves came a day after the team waived long snapper Christian Yount, who had appeared in 53 games since joining the Browns in 2011.
Lenz was released by the Indianapolis Colts earlier this month after being signed to a reserve/future contract in January. The 6-foot-0, 195-pound Lenz signed with Chicago in 2013 as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa State. He spent time on Seattle’s practice squad in 2013, before moving to the Colts’ practice squad for eight weeks in 2013 and all of the 2014 season.
Lenz was on the Colts’ active roster for their 2013 playoff game with New England, but did not see action. Last year during the preseason, he caught four passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. (Video proof of the touchdown can be found at NFL.com.)
With the Browns he joins a crowded position group that includes Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline, Andrew Hawkins, Travis Benjamin, Taylor Gabriel and Vince Mayle, among others, making it more than likely that Lenz is just a practice body.
Tupou spent nine weeks on Cleveland’s practice squad in 2014 after playing in five games for the Chicago Bears in 2013. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Tupou signed with the Bears in 2012 as an undrafted free agent out of USC, where he played in 41 games with 32 starts over four seasons, recording 53 tackles and seven tackles-for-loss. He missed the 2010 season with a torn ACL.
Looking back at his draft profile at NFL.com reveals that Tupou is “a try-hard, unathletic, low-production player, but also a high-character type nose tackle. He has been a presence on the USC frontlines for four years, though he struggled returning from a year-long hiatus this past year after taking a redshirt year due to a torn ACL. Tupou has late-round value for a team looking to select an active player for the inside of their d-line.”
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Like Lenz, Tupou joins a crowded position group that includes Randy Starks, Danny Shelton, Nate Orchard, Xavier Cooper, Desmond Bryant, Phil Taylor, John Hughes, Armonty Bryant, Ishmaa’ily Kitchen and Billy Winn.
Originally signed by Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Yount was the long snapper for the Buccaneers’ first seven contests that season. He was waived by Tampa Bay and took over as the Browns’ long snapper with five games remaining in the 2011 season. The Browns signed him to a five-year contract prior to the start of the 2013 season.
The move leaves Charley Hughlett as the team’s long snapper. The Browns signed Hughlett off Kansas City’s practice squad in December.
What do you think about the latest roster moves by the Cleveland Browns?