5 players the Browns need to bring back to their practice squad

The Cleveland Browns made their moves on Monday and Tuesday, getting the roster down to 53 players.

As is often the case, there were several fan-favorites released which is unavoidable given the depth from top to bottom this team boasts. Many of these players will now hit the waiver wire and teams can claim them until noon EST on Wednesday.

Every player who clears waivers can then be signed to the 16-man practice squad. With that being the case, here are four players Cleveland needs to bring back if they're not claimed.

Isaiah Thomas, DE

Cleveland selected Isiah Thomas in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He made the 53-man roster as a rookie and had nine tackles and a sack.

In year two, he couldn’t crack the roster after the Browns added Za’Darius Smith, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Isaiah McGuire.

Thomas proved during the preseason that he can bring the heat as a pass rusher. He has a quick first step and is consistently generating pressure. He’s become the victim of a numbers game but should be retained if not claimed by another franchise.

Aidan Robbins, RB

News broke on Monday that the Browns won’t remove Nick Chubb from the PUP list, meaning he will miss at least the first four games. With him out, they’ll be turning to Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong but with the injuries they’ve already seen at the position, adding depth via the practice squad is a must.

Their top target for this needs to be Aidan Robbins, an undrafted free agent from BYU.

Robbins is a 240-pound bulldozer who didn’t put up elite numbers in the preseason but showed progress in the finale. Against Seattle, he had 38 yards on eight rushing attempts and 25 on four receptions. There’s real potential there and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him contribute as early as next season if they can keep him around.

Michael Woods II, WR

Michael Woods II missed the entire 2023 season with an Achilles injury. He looked fully heathy this preseason and even scored two touchdowns in the finale.

However, the depth was too much for him to overcome which led to his release. Woods, who ran a 4.37 ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, is a talented player who can stretch the field. He's someone they need to bring back, provided he's not claimed.

Treyton Welch, TE

There was a time when it appeared Treyton Welch could steal a spot on Cleveland's 53-man roster. Outside of David Njoku and Jordan Akins, they just didn't have much depth.

Now, they head into the regular season with just Njoku and Akins on the roster. That's odd for a Kevin Stefanski offense but it also means they're likely going to add multiple tight ends to the practice squad.

Zaire Mithcell-Paden is an option but they also need to bring Welch back. He had a couple of catches in the preseason finale, showing a glimpse of what he can do. At 6-foot-3 and 233 pounds, he's not the biggest tight end but while at Wyoming, he had 874 yards and nine touchdowns. He's someone they could continue to develop, which is why he needs to be retained.

D'Onta Foreman, RB

As a vested veteran, D'Onta Foreman won't be exposed to waivers. That's good for the Browns, who have just two running backs on the 53-man roster.

They likely informed Foreman he would be back on either the practice squad, or even active roster after making some moves. One potential move could be trading one of their backup QBs, which would open a spot for Foreman.

Until then, he needs to be retained. There are too many injured players at the position to allow Foreman to walk.

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