The Cleveland Browns entered the weekend seeking to cut down their 90-man training camp roster to 53 players, but also knowing whomever the first 53 were, that list was not going to stand. The Browns simply have too many areas in which they’re lacking depth, and a spate of injuries this summer did little to help. So it’s no surprise that the Browns have been closely watching the waiver wire here in the days after cut-down day, and it’s also no surprise that the made a move on a talented player who has likely not hit his peak: former Cowboys second-round pick Sam Williams.
The Browns, it was reported by ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, are scooping up the 27-year old Williams, who was let go by Dallas after the team brought in veteran pass rusher Von Miller.
Wrote Fowler on Twitter/X: “The Browns plan to sign free agent pass rusher Sam Williams to the active roster, per sources.”
Browns Searching for Answers at Edge Rusher
Signing Sam Williams is the second move the Browns have made to address an edge-rusher room that is just too thin. Last week, the team signed 10th year veteran Derek Barnett, who had his best seasons with the Eagles but who had been playing for the Texans for the past two-and-a-half years. That came after the Browns had been turned down by another former Cowboys pass-rusher, Jadeveon Clowney, as well as Za’Darius Smith.
The Browns wanted a veteran in the room all summer, but then took another hit to the depth of the position when Alex Wright suffered a torn Achilles tendon that will put him out for the season. Wright had a career-high 5.5 sacks in 2025, playing 14 games. The Browns have also indicated they will play lineman Mike Hall some at edge rusher.
Cleveland cut edge rusher Julian Okwara in a somewhat surprising move on Monday.
Sam Williams Makes Mistakes
So, what are the Browns getting with Sam Williams? He was a second-round pick from Mississippi in 2022, who moved up the draft board on the basis of a strong 4.46-second 40-yard dash as well as his bend and his good first step. The problem was that Williams was not especially strong and, as his NFL.com scouting report noted, “He was often overmatched and pummeled at the point of attack.”
He struggles against the run, but did begin to show some progress in adding strength in the NFL, though, and recorded 8.5 sacks in his first two seasons. Certainly, that is the player the Browns hope they are signing.
But Williams suffered a torn ACL and a partial MCL in his left knee in training camp in 2024, and he was not quite the same promising player when he came back in 2025. He showed flashes of the ability to get into the backfield, but he was frequently whistled for bad penalties at the most frustrating times.
As long-time Cowboys reporter Mike Fisher noted on Twitter/X: “#Cowboys are cutting athletically gifted but error-prone EDGE Sam Williams.” The Browns are hoping to get more of those gifts … and less of the errors.
Browns Add ‘Athletically Gifted’ Former 2nd-Round Pick in New Roster Move