The 4 most surprising Cleveland Browns roster cuts

The Cleveland Browns cut their roster down to 53 players by the 4 pm Tuesday afternoon deadline, while also designating others to the IR. There will be plenty of other roster moves over the next few days as guys around the league clear waivers. It is possible that some of the players cut could return to the Browns.

There weren't many major surprises with these cuts, but there are still some shocking ones. A handful of guys will surely land on new teams and get a second chance.

Here are the four most surprising cuts the Cleveland Browns made.

4. Siaki Ika - Defensive Tackle

This move is surprising solely from the perspective that the Browns admitted they made a draft blunder last year when they drafted Siaki Ika in the third round. Ika is a mammoth of an individual, but then the ball was snapped. We have seen Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski continue to give guys they drafted a second and third chance, but this was a move that was needed. Berry went and upgraded the defensive tackle room in the offseason and Ika will now have to find work elsewhere.

3. Isaiah Thomas - Defensive End

On the adverse side of getting rid of homegrown, drafted, Isaiah Thomas being cut is not what I had envisioned as he was one of those "project players" that Berry covets late in the draft and also in free agency. Thomas was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft and appeared in 10 games as a rookie, getting a sack, a pair of pass deflections, and nine tackles. Unfortunately for Thomas, he missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury. That is the life that late-round picks live, for better or for worse.

2. James Proche II - Wide Receiver

With the new kickoff rules for the 2024 season, James Proche seemed like a lock to make the roster, especially with Nyheim Hines, on IR, but that was not the case. Proche was formerly on the Baltimore Ravens where he handled punts as a rookie. The Browns picked him up last offseason and he returned 22 punts for 197 yards. While he did not record a catch in the 2023 season, he was able to catch a touchdown pass from former Ravens' teammate Tyler Huntley.

UPDATE: Both Proche and Thomas are back via the practice squad.

1. D'Onta Foreman - Running Back

This is the most surprising and puzzling cut the Browns made on Tuesday as D'Onta Foreman seemed to be on track to fill the Kareem Hunt role for Cleveland. On Monday, the team announced that star running back Nick Chubb would miss at least the first four games of the season as they placed him on IR.

With Foreman being cut, the Browns are left with Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. as the only running backs on the roster. Ford filled in admirably for Chubb last year and was the penciled-in starting back. Strong rushed 63 times for 291 yards for Cleveland last season.

Now, it is likely that Foreman could return to the team and he would not have to clear waivers as his contract was terminated. If he doesn't return, that could indicate that Berry has a trick or two up his sleeve. At the end of the day, there will be three or four running backs on the roster come Week 1.