The Cleveland Browns have signed former New York Jets receiver Lawrence Cager to their practice squad, adding additional depth to their already deep wide receiver corps.
The Browns announced Cager would be joining the practice squad on Monday. He’s a 6-5, 220-pound second-year pass-catcher out of Georgia. He signed to the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and spent the first 10 weeks on the Jets’ practice squad before signing to the active roster during Week 13. He has totaled 35 receiving yards on two catches, all in his NFL debut and first start in Week 3 against Indianapolis after getting elevated from the practice squad for Weeks 3 and 4.
Cager spent his first four years of college at Miami before transferring as a grad student to Georgia in 2019, finishing his career with 78 receptions for 1,157 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Cager would be the largest receiver on the roster and would give the unit something they don’t currently have in a big-bodied out wide. That being said, the Browns do get that out of their talented trio of tight ends — Austin Hooper, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant — often playing multiple tight end sets.
Browns Adding Additional Help on Offensive Line
Cager won’t be the only new face in Cleveland. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that the Browns are planning to sign offensive guard Hjalte Froholdt to their 53-man roster off the Texans practice squad pending physical.
The Browns have one of the best lines in the league but are an injury away from having some issues, with limited experience in the reserves. They have also been banged up of late, with center JC Tretter and tackle Jedrick Wills dealing with injuries. Backup swing tackle Chris Hubbard has also been sidelined by a tricep in jury he suffered in Week 1.
Froholdt will compete with Michael Dunn and Blake Hance for a spot on the depth chart.
Browns Assessing Injury to Jedrick Wills
Wills received an MRI this week to see just how bad the ankle injury he’s dealing with is. He’s gutted through it the last three weeks but has looked less than 100% while out there. That’s less than ideal for a player protecting Baker Mayfield’s blindside.
“I think everything we do is really weekly. We make these decisions daily. We make these decisions with the information available to us,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Monday, October 5. “It was unfortunate that he got his ankle caught there, but everything is on the table there.”
The Browns are also monitoring how rookie cornerback Greg Newsome II bounces back from a calf injury that forced him to miss Week 4. Greedy Williams started in his place and notched his first career interception. It was Williams’ first start since 2019.
“I am really proud of Greedy,” Stefanski said of Williams. “He came back, and the guy has just been so singularly focused on helping this team win. To see him out there, play well, play physical and get his hands on guys – that is a really good passing unit out there – he was up to the challenge. To come up with a big takeaway, again versus a quarterback who does not throw many of those, he went up and got it, and it was a really good decision.”
The Browns are 1.5-point underdogs on the road this week against the Chargers.
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Browns Sign Former Jets Wide Receiver Lawrence Cager