Browns Waive Promising Wideout Amid Slew of Roster Moves

Getty Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns.

The Cleveland Browns took the field for the first time this preseason on Thursday, August 4. By Friday, the team’s roster looked considerably different.

Perhaps the biggest move was the Browns’ decision to waive wide receiver Daylen Baldwin with an injury designation. Baldwin suffered a hamstring strain against the New York Jets on Thursday night and left the game after seeing just one target and making zero catches, per ESPN.com.

Baldwin joined the Browns last summer as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Michigan amid a slew of injuries in the receiver room. He was a regular fixture on Cleveland’s practice squad in 2022, though the team elevated him for one regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens on December 17. Baldwin caught two passes in that contest and gained a total of 25 yards, per Pro Football Reference.

As a non-vested player, NFL rules dictate that Baldwin must enter the waiver wire system following the Browns’ call to cut him. However, if no team claims Baldwin after 24 hours, Cleveland can designate him to the injured reserve (IR) list, per NJ.com.

Browns Replace Daylen Baldwin on Roster With Former NFL Great Reggie Wayne’s Cousin

GettyCleveland Browns wide receiver Daylen Baldwin #17 celebrates a touchdown with his teammates during an NFL preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles in August 2022.

The Browns replaced Baldwin on the 90-man training camp roster with wideout Jalen Wayne whose primary claim to fame is that he is the cousin of former NFL great Reggie Wayne.

Wayne, who stands at 6’1″ and weighs 212 pounds, played his college ball at South Alabama where he hauled in 152 catches for 1,980 yards and 14 touchdowns over the course of his career, per the Browns’ official website. Wayne initially joined the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent this summer before catching on in Cleveland Friday.

Cleveland also reunited with tight end Miller Forristall and added linebacker Cam Bright, an undrafted rookie out of Washington, on Friday. On Saturday, the Browns added offensive lineman Derrick Kelly II and cornerback Gavin Heslop, per Camryn Justice of WEWS in Cleveland.

Kelly played small roles for the New Orleans Saints (six games) in 2020 and the New York Giants (one game) in 2021, while Heslop appeared in three games with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021.

Joining Baldwin on the cut line Friday was cornerback Thomas Graham, who the Browns also waived with an injury designation. Cleveland also cut running back Nate McCrary, offensive tackle Hunter Thedford and punter Joseph Charlton.

Anthony Schwartz Positioned as Next Receiver on Browns’ Chopping Block

GettyWide receiver Anthony Schwartz of the Cleveland Browns scores a touchdown during an NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in November 2022.

Given his history with the team, Baldwin had an outside chance to make the Browns’ 53-man roster and was a legitimate candidate for the practice squad once again in 2023. Baldwin opened the season behind wideout Anthony Schwartz on the depth chart, though Schwartz is currently positioned as the next pass catcher on Cleveland’s chopping block.

Schwartz has game-breaking speed that no other player in the position group can match, save for Marquise Goodwin who the Browns acquired in free agency before he was subsequently sidelined by blood clot issues in his legs and lungs. There is no timetable for Goodwin’s return to the active roster.

As such, Schwartz would figure to have an inside track to make the final roster. However, a catastrophic performance Thursday night has made his case that much harder of a sell. Schwartz caught just one pass for seven yards, which he fumbled away to the Jets for one of two Cleveland turnovers on the night.

Schwartz has played in 25 games and made three starts for the Browns over his two-year NFL career. He has made 14 total catches on 33 targets, gaining 186 yards and scoring one touchdown over that span.