While We’re Waiting…Dion Waiters next great SG, Ryan Shazier becomes leader, Browns receiving woes
August 31, 2013Vegas has Browns at 5 to 1 odds to win division; Too high or too low?
August 31, 2013The Browns have decided to part ways with wide receiver David Nelson a league source told NBC’s ProFootballTalk.
Browns cut WR David Nelson, per league source.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 31, 2013
Nelson joined the Browns back in April on a one year deal eight months removed from tearing his ACL during Buffalo’s first game of 2012. After going undrafted out of Florida in 2010, Nelson broke out in Buffalo’s spread offense, becoming a favorite target of then quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, catching 61 balls for 658 yards in 2011.
Both Nelson and the Bills had high hopes for the 6-foot-5, 204 pound slot receiver in 2012, but after missing the whole year with the knee injury the Bills decided Nelson was no longer part of their plans, leaving Nelson searching for a new team to take a chance on him.
There were high hopes in Cleveland as well for Nelson, but injury setbacks in training camp kept him off the field. He received his first action of the pre-season in Thursday’s finale against Chicago, looking both good and bad against the Bears. Nelson hauled in four catches for 54 yards on a whopping 10 targets, dropping a ball and slipping a couple times in his routes.
The coaching staff gave Nelson the opportunity to show he belonged on the roster, but have apparently decided to look elsewhere to improve a thinning receiving corp which consists of Greg Little, Davone Bess, Travis Benjamin, and the suspended Josh Gordon as guys who have roster spots locked up.
Nelson’s departure opens the door for Josh Cooper, and the strong possibility the Browns bring in a veteran receiver from the outside after final cuts are made Saturday night.
[Related: NFL News: Cleveland Browns release seven players on Friday]
5 Comments
I will be the first to admit I was completely wrong. Figured he was safe because he was a signee of the new regime. Mea culpa.
I was excited about the signing, but at least now we are starting to see some decent guys getting cut. Has to be a sign of us getting better.
Sounds good to me. Ill take it!
He’s not the first guy the new FO brought in who they weren’t afraid to dump, either. I appreciate that they are willing to make the right move regardless of who’s signee the guy was.
He still has potential, but he just isn’t ready, and I think Josh Cooper deserves the roster spot. He’s had a great camp. He may not be physically exceptional, but neither is Wes Welker. There’s value in a guy who just runs his routes correctly and catches the ball reliably.