Joe Sargent/Getty Images Running back Nyheim Hines of the Indianapolis Colts runs with the ball as linebacker Tegray Scales of the Pittsburgh Steelers tries for the tackle.
The Cleveland Browns have been hit by a rash of injuries at inside linebacker, with Jacob Phillips (torn biceps) and Montrel Meander (ruptured Achilles) already lost for the season. On Wednesday, Cleveland added to its depth at the position by signing ex-Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Tegray Scales, a former undrafted free agent out of Indiana.
Scales appeared in four games for the Steelers last season, playing three snaps on defense and 37 more on special teams before being waived prior to the team’s post-season game vs. the Browns. He went on to sign a one-year Reserve/Future contract with the Steelers in mid-January, but was waived earlier this month to make room for trade acquisition Joe Schobert.
Scales, 25, originally signed to Pittsburgh’s practice squad in November 2020. He made his regular-season debut against the Buffalo Bills and was subsequently added to the team’s active roster.
Scales originally entered the NFL in 2018, joining the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent. In the time since, he has also played for the Dallas Renegades of the XFL and has spent time on the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He has said that he wants to transition to a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) career when his NFL playing days are over.
Kyle Markway Claimed by the Browns
On Wednesday, the Browns also made another roster move involving a former Steeler, as Cleveland claimed tight end Kyle Markway, who was waived on Tuesday by the Rams.
The Steelers originally signed Markway last summer, but released him prior to the start of the 2020 regular-season.
Titans Claim Derwin Gray
Also of note is how the Tennessee Titans claimed former Steelers offensive tackle Derwin Gray, a day after he was waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Gray was a seventh-round pick of the Steelers in the 2019 NFL Draft, but Pittsburgh waived him last December to make room on the roster for the aforementioned Tegray Scales. He went on to be claimed by the Jaguars, and he remained with Jacksonville until yesterday.
Packers Sign Stephen Denmark, Abdullah Anderson
Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers have signed two of the five players released by the Steelers on Aug. 17, namely cornerback Stephen Denmark and defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson.
Denmark is a former seventh-round pick of the Chicago Bears (Valdosta State), who failed to provide much competition for Pittsburgh’s established cornerbacks. Anderson is a former undrafted free agent out of Bucknell University who has six games of the NFL experience with the Bears.
Tight End Nick Vannett Will Miss 2-4 Games: Report
Last but not least, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN is reporting that New Orleans Saints tight end Nick Vannett will miss between two and four games with a knee injury suffered during his team’s recent preseason game against the Jaguars.
Saints tight end Nick Vannett (knee) expected to miss 2-4 weeks, per source. Had tests done after Jaguars game, avoided major damage.
Vannett inked a three-year deal with the Saints in March, this despite a lackluster year with the Denver Broncos in 2020 and an equally underwhelming one-year stint with the Steelers in 2019. While in Pittsburgh, the former third-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks had just 13 receptions in 13 games (including six starts).
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