The day after the Browns reduced their roster to 52, they brought in four new players and cut three more.
This is not unprecedented, but it’s pretty unusual. In my career of covering the NFL – which has spanned the globe and the centuries – I don’t remember that many moves the day after cutdown day. I’ve seen teams make a move, or maybe two. But seven?
This is all well and good. Teams are always looking to get better, except when it comes to playing competing quarterbacks in the preseason finale. Maybe one of these guys improves the team.
What does it mean? One of the following:
The team’s roster is really, really bad, and in need of great improvement to the point that the backups of the backups were not NFL worthy. This means the backups themselves probably aren’t very good either.
Eric Mangini is a fiddler who can’t stop fiddling. Some coaches are this way. They always want change. One coach cut a guy on Christmas Eve. He just couldn’t stop fiddling with the roster. I don’t think that’s Mangini.
These four guys who were cut are Super Bowl worthy talents and the Browns absolutely had to claim them. I’m guessing this isn’t the case.
Which leaves option (a).
Geez, this sure seems like it could be a long season.
If any of those new guys actually see the field on game day then it is a long season. Until that point I am not going to get too excited (or down) about spots 50 through 53 on the roster. Last time I checked they only dress 45 on Sunday.