Cleveland Browns Derrick Willies lands on practice squad

Derrick Willies has discovered how life in the NFL has its ups and downs, after being cut by the Cleveland Browns Browns and signed to the practice squad.

Derrick Willies came out of nowhere last year to become a hero in the Cleveland Browns overtime win against the hated Baltimore Ravens, hauling in a spectacular 39 yard pass from Baker Mayfield. That was a definite highlight.

Willies was an undrafted free agent, having played for Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech. Yes, the same Texas Tech that once featured Baker Mayfield as its starter but sent him packing in favor of Patrick Mahomes.

Kingsbury benched Willies after a few flubs at Tech. He wound up playing in only 14 games in two years with 592 receiving yards, usually as a backup. Many NFL prospects get that many receiving yards in a month.

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Nevertheless, the Cleveland Browns saw potential in Willies, especially after his Pro Day workout. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver ran a 4.57 40 yard dash and demonstrated a 41 inch vertical jump. John Dorsey and Co. signed him to a contract and he managed to make the 53 player roster in 2018. Things seemed to be trending upwards.

By the Baltimore game (Week 5), the Browns were still figuring out who was going to play wide receiver. Antonio Callaway was getting starts, though he was still learning the the playbook of coach Hue “The Quarterback Whisperer” Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Rashard Higgins did not have good stats from 2017, but was looking much better with Mayfield as the newly installed starter, having formed a strong relationship when they were both practicing with the second string unit.

Jarvis Landry was the best receiver, often lining up in the slot. Damion Ratley had made some good plays as well, but Willies was getting additional game snaps, both in special teams as well as with the offensive unit.

After starring in that game against Baltimore, which by the way was the only game that Baker Mayfied started and won in for coach Jackson, he had definitely leapfrogged Damion Ratley in the depth chart and might have been ready to start in place of Higgins or Callaway. We will never know, however, because he came crashing to earth, breaking his collarbone in practice and finishing his season.

In summer camp this year, he seemed to be on the upswing again, getting a good look on special teams as well as a situational wide receiver. He was getting very good reviews from the early practices from a number of observers. However, he did not play particularly well in the exhibition games, and failed to make a few catches that he probably should have made.

He wound up getting cut when the Browns pared down to 53 players on August 31. However the next day he signed with the practice squad, so there is a clear path back to the NFL now.

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Willies is a good pursuit and tackle guy on special teams, and is the kind of tall physical wide receiver that fits the mold of cold-weather, AFC North football. Here’s hoping that he regains his top form and proves that the Baltimore game was not a fluke.

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