Cleveland Browns make it official: Desmond Bryant out for 2016

The Cleveland Browns placed Desmond Bryant on the reserve/non-football injury list, ending his 2016 season before it began.

The Cleveland Browns made the expected official on Thursday, placing defensive end Desmond Bryant on the reserve/non-football injury list.

The move means that Bryant, who tore a pectoral muscle during an off-season workout and underwent surgery, will officially miss the entire 2016 season.

“It’s very unfortunate that happened with Des because I think he was on his way to having a great season,” head coach Hue Jackson said of the move. “He had a great offseason and obviously that happened away from here, so it’s tough.”

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While the move was not much of a surprise given the five- to six-month recovery period given for Bryant post-surgery, the fact that the Browns filled his roster spot with tight end David Reeves is a bit of a surprise.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Reeves was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers after posting 47 receptions for 367 yards and seven touchdowns in 53 career games for the Blue Demons. He was released by Pittsburgh after the team signed free agent David Johnson, who spent the past two seasons with the San Diego Chargers.

The addition of Reeves brings the number of tight ends on the Browns roster to seven, which along with the 12 wide receivers is a lot of bodies to work with early on in training camp.

Now that Bryant, who will turn 31 by the end of the 2016 season, is officially done for the year it is safe to wonder if he has played his last game for the Browns.

Cleveland signed Bryant as a free agent in 2013 and he has made 41 starts in his three seasons with the Browns. He was the co-leader in sacks last year with six, giving him 14.5 total sacks during his time with the Browns.

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The Browns signed free agent defensive end Nick Hayden, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, last week to add depth to a defensive line that is long on potential – Danny Shelton and Xavier Cooper are in their second years, Jamie Meder in his third, while Carl Nassib is a rookie – and short on experience as John Hughes joins Hayden as the only veterans on the line.