Nate Burleson and Leon McFadden are gone but Rex Grossman and Isaiah Crowell survive Cleveland Browns cuts to 53 By Mary Kay Cabot, Northeast Ohio Media Group CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns cornerback Leon McFadden had two preseason starts to try to keep his job, and wide receiver Nate Burleson hoped that returning in the preseason finale and catching a big 27-yard pass from Johnny Manziel might be enough to save him. But it wasnt to be for either of them. McFadden, Burleson, and running backs Chris Ogbonnaya and Dion Lewis were among the 19 cuts the Browns made to get down to the final 53. Other bigger-name players that got the axe include guard Garrett Gilkey, second-year safety Josh Aubrey and tight end MarQuies Gray. Rookie quarterback Connor Shaw, the undrafted free agent from South Carolina, was let go, but could resurface on the practice squad if he clears waivers on Sunday. The Browns also placed fourth-year cornerback Isaiah Trufant on injured reserve for the season with a knee injury that caused him to miss three of the four preseason games and receiver Marlon Moore was suspended for the first game of the season and does not currently count on the 53-man roster. The more notable players that made the team include 12th-year quarterback Rex Grossman, and three undrafted rookies: fullback Ray Agnew, running back Isaiah Crowell and receiver Taylor Gabriel. Four of the players let go are vested veterans and are free to sign with any team, right away: Burleson; linebackers Zac Diles and Jamal Westerman; and Ogbonnaya. The following players were waived and must clear waivers before they can join another team: defensive backs Josh Aubrey and McFadden, defensive linemen Calvin Barnett, Jacobbi McDaniel and Justin Staples; offensive linemen Reid Fragel, Gilkey, Donald Hawkins, Alex Parsons and Abasi Salimu; quarterback Shaw; Gray; Lewis; tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi; and receiver Willie Snead. Pettine regretted having to part with Burleson, who missed most of the offseason with arm surgery and the first three preseason games with a pulled hamstring. The affable Burleson was a leader in the receiver room and a great mentor to the young receivers. Nate is a true professional and it was a difficult decision for us. Pettine said in a release. Ultimately, his availability was a concern with all the time he missed and we liked what we saw in the other players at that position. Burleson tweeted, Been real Ohio! Huge S/O to the fans for showin me luv while I was here, I now know why people luv Cleveland! #Dueces. The Browns kept only five receivers -- and will be sure to add more over the next few days. Some intriguing ones have been cut, including former Jets 2012 second-round pick Stephen Hill, former Saints veteran Robert Meachem and former Charger Vincent Brown. Pettine was the Jets defensive coordinator in 2012, so hes familiar with Hill, whom the Jets traded up to draft at 43rd overall out of Georgia Tech. But the speedster never quite lived up to his potential in New York, catching 45 passes for 594 yards and four TDs in his 23 games. He also finished each of his first two seasons on injured reserve. His agent, Alan Herman, told Newsday, I just dont think (the Jets) gave him the opportunity he deserves. Did Pettine see it the same way? If so, the Browns might consider putting a claim in. The Browns projected starters are Miles Austin and Andrew Hawkins, but several young receivers have a chance to make an impact, including Gabriel, the undrafted rookie from Abilene Christian, and Charles Johnson, who was acquired last year despite recovering from a major knee injury. Gabriel caught two big passes from Brian Hoyer in Thursdays 33-13 victory over the Bears, and led all receivers with 10 catches for 128 yards in preseason. Gabriel also returned four kickoffs for a 31.8-yard average, including a team-long 68-yarder. Gabriels an explosive athlete, hes very strong for his size (5-foot-8 and 172 pounds), Pettine said. He has the ability to get off the line against press, whicha lot of times you dont find with smaller guys. A lot of times, you have to put them off the ball or have him on the move (before the snap). The Browns kept a dozen defensive backs, in part because several are injured: Joe Haden (foot), Buster Skrine (thumb surgery) and rookie Pierre Desir (knee). The list includes four rookies: first-round draft pick Justin Gilbert, fourth-rounder Desir, and two rookie free agents -- KWaun Williams of Pitt and Robert Nelson of Arizona State. Its a big part of the system, just with how its become such a passing league, Pettine said. You need to carry a high number of DBs, especially corners. The Browns opted to keep Grosssman, who can help both Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel. Grossman has played for offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan for five seasons, in Houston and Washington. Rex is a veteran, hes played in this system, hes good for the (other) guys in the (quarterback) room, and he also showed that he can still throw it, Pettine said. And thats the most important thing. He can still play. Crowell, who churned out 102 yards on 13 carries --- including a 48-yard TD blast -- for an impressive 7.8-yard average against the Bears, made Lewis expendable. Before Thursday night, he had rushed only twice for three yards. It wasnt something where he was on the outside looking in and, all of a sudden, he had that big night, Pettine said. He had flashed at practice and he was a guy that we knew had that type of ability. But you still have to show it in games, and we had kind of earmarked (the Bears) game as one where we were going to feature him a little bit more. And, to his credit, he went out and performed. Crowell (5-11, 225) was the SEC Freshman of the Year at Georgia in 2011 and then transferred to Alabama State, where he finished sixth in school history with 1,963 yards after two seasons. I knew once I got a chance, Id prove to everybody Ive got what it takes, Crowell said after the Bears game. I knew I could do whatever they wanted me to do. The Browns opted for Agnew, a true fullback, as opposed to tight end-turned fullback Gray and the multi-purpose Ogbonnaya. Ray was another guy that Id put in that category with Gabriel in the sense that if you watched how he handled himself, youd never know he was a rookie, especially an undrafted one, Pettine said. But he fits our commitment to wanting to run the football, he fits that classic mold where he brings an air of toughness. Pettine stressed that the Browns will be scouring the waiver wire. Theyll also add some of the waived players to their 10-man practice squad when they clear waivers. I think the 53 is always going to be fluid, especially at the start of the season. Pettine said. Ray and his staff have done an outstanding job of keeping tabs on the league and Im confident they will continue to make any moves that are necessary to give us the best possible 53. Other roster notes: * The departures of McFadden and Gilkey leaves only two of the five draft picks from 2013 on the roster: first-round pick Barkevious Mingo and seventh-round pick Armonty Bryant. Also gone from that draft is sixth-round safety Jamoris Slaughter. McFadden started the last two preseason games in place of Haden, but couldnt save himself. Thursday night against the Bears, he committed a 37-yard pass interference penalty and also surrendered a 32-yard pass to receiver Josh Bellamy. Slated for an eventual starting role, McFadden started only two games for the Browns last season and made 15 tackles. * Lewis, acquired in a trade for former Browns sixth-round pick Emmanuel Acho, whos out of football, battled back from a broken fibula that cost him all of 2013, but lost out to Crowell. Last week, Pettine said Lewis has separated himself some in the battle for the third running back job. But he finished the preseason with only 12 carries for 30 yards and a 2.5-yard average. The Browns 53-man roster includes: Offense (23) Quarterbacks (3): Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, Rex Grossman; running backs (3) : Ben Tate, Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell, fullback (1): Ray Agnew; wide receivers (5): Miles Austin, Andrew Hawkins, Travis Benjamin, Taylor Gabriel, Charles Johnson; tight ends (3): Jordan Cameron, Gary Barnidge, Jim Dray; offensive linemen (8): Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, John Greco, Mitchell Schwartz, Joel Bitonio, Paul McQuistan, Martin Wallace, Karim Barton. Defense (27) Defensive linemen (7): Desmond Bryant, Armonty Bryant, John Hughes, Ishmaaily Kitchen, Phil Taylor, Billy Winn, Ahtyba Rubin; linebackers (8): Karlos Dansby, Barkevious Mingo, Craig Robertson, Paul Kruger, Jabaal Sheard, Chris Kirksey, Tank Carder; Eric Martin; defensive backs (12): Joe Haden, Buster Skrine, Justin Gilbert, Aaron Berry, Pierre Desir, Robert Nelson, KWaun Williams, Donte Whitner, Tashaun Gipson, Jim Leonhard, Johnson Bademosi, Jordan Poyer. Specialists (3) Kicker (1): Billy Cundiff; punter (1): Spencer Lanning; long snapper (1): Christian Yount.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 14:20:58 +0000
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