Browns Ink Former Colts Pass Catcher Amid Flurry of Moves

Getty Images Chester Rogers was signed by the Browns on Tuesday.

The Cleveland Browns made a series of roster moves on September 13, including signing former Indianapolis Colts receiver Chester Rogers to the practice squad.

Rogers is a sixth-year player from Grambling State. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016 with the Colts. Over the course of Rogers’ career, he proved to be a reliable set of hands. He has caught 141 passes for 1,522 yards and six touchdowns in 69 career games, 24 of those being starts.

Rogers spent training camp with the Houston Texans but reached an injury settlement after he was placed on IR. The move by the Browns indicates that he’s healthy enough to play.

Once he gets the Browns’ system down, he could see time on the active roster due to his experience, joining Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz, rookie David Bell and dual-threat WR/RB Demetric Felton. Rogers does have a leg up due to his familiarity with quarterback Jacoby Brissett, whom he played with in Indianapolis.

Browns Without Injured WR Michael Woods

The Browns are curently without rookie Michael Woods, who was a sixth-round pick but is dealing with a nagging hamstring injury.

Woods missed multiple weeks of practice and a chunk of camp due to injury, slowing his progression. He returned to practice leading up to the opener but was limited. A timetable for his return to the lineup is uncertain.

Woods came out of Oklahoma, where he notched 118 catches for 1,648 yards and 12 touchdowns over 39 games as a Sooner. He wasn’t expected to be a huge part of the Browns’ game plan, especially after missing a chunk of time in the preseason, but they would have liked the rookie to get some reps.

“I think that being available during that time would have helped me tremendously in terms of technique and things like that, but I think it helped me tremendously in terms of the mental game and being able to be one step ahead of everybody out there,” Woods said August 30 when asked about his missed time leading up to the season. “It was pretty much day by day when I am injured. Just take it day by day and try to get better every day. That is pretty much what it came down to.”

Browns Sign Former Bears Cornerback Thomas Graham Jr.

The Browns also made a move on the defensive side of the ball, adding former Chicago Bears cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. to the active roster.

Graham Jr. was a sixth-round draft choice by the Bears in 2021. He has played in four career games with one start after spending the first 14 weeks of last season on the Bears’ practice squad. In those four games, he totaled 13 tackles with four pass deflections.

To make room for Graham, the Browns waived cornerback Herb Miller but later added him to the practice squad. Miller played 22 snaps in Cleveland’s opener, all on special teams.

The Browns could use some depth in their secondary with Greedy Williams heading to injured reserve. Graham joins Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Martin Emerson Jr. and A.J. Green on the cornerback depth chart.