Getty Images Perrion Winfrey of the Cleveland Browns.
Perrion Winfrey landed on the inactive list for a third consecutive week on Sunday and the Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle was very honest about how his year has gone.
Winfrey has been in and out of the lineup during the tumultuous season. The Browns’ fourth-round pick has been a healthy scratch on a few occasions. It’s uncertain if this week against the Bills was due to a head injury that he was listed with during the latter part of the week or a coach’s decision.
Winfrey tweeted after missing the matchup against the Bills and made a passionate promise that he’ll keep going.
“I can’t fake it this been one of the worst years of my life,” Winfrey tweeted. “I WONT stop tho.”
Winfrey continued basically live-tweeting the game, encouraging his defense from afar.
“That orange on white will forever be beautiful,” Winfrey wrote before following it up with another. “I love it D”
Winfrey Called Out By Myles Garrett Earlier in Season
While his play on the field has been one thing, Winfrey also found himself in some hot water with his behavior as a “pro.” It was reported that the rookie had been late multiple times, drawing the ire of Garrett and the coaching staff.
“I think we all have to step up and say something, but sometimes silence speaks louder than words,” Garrett said in September. “We’ve used our voice a couple of times, and at the end of the day, he’s got to learn how to be a pro.”
Before landing with the Browns, Winfrey played two years at Iowa Western Community College and was rated as the No. 1 overall junior college recruit in the country after that stint. He landed with Oklahoma, where he became a key piece of the defensive line. He was named as a second-team All-Big 12 Conference selection last, posting 23 tackles, 11 for loss with 5.5 sacks in 12 starts.
Winfrey was expected to play a role in at least the rotation at defensive tackle, with it being one of the thinner positions on the Browns roster. He’s been unable to do that and has just five tackles this season.
Newly signed DT Ben Stille paired up with Tommy Togai as the primary backups to Taven Bryan and Jordan Elliott.
Greg Newsome Misses Game With Concussion
The Browns were shorthanded in the secondary against the Bills with starting cornerback Greg Newsome out with a concussion he suffered during Friday’s practice.
Newsome had started every game this season, playing nearly 100% of the defensive snaps. He has 24 tackles but has yet to register an interception. Newsome’s cornerback partner Denzel Ward had missed three consecutive games with a concussion earlier in the year.
In Newsome’s absence, rookie Martin Emerson drew the start. However, he went down midway through the second quarter with an injury of his own. Greedy Williams and A.J. Green picked up more time with the injuries in the secondary.
The other inactives for the Browns included: QB Kellen Mond, RB Demetric Felton Jr., safety D’Anthony Bell, DE Isaiah Thomas and G Drew Forbes.