Browns Players Claimed on Waivers

The Cleveland Browns waived players as they got down to the 53 man roster and a few of them were claimed by other teams.

As expected, the Cleveland Browns saw a couple of the players they waived on cut down day claimed by other teams. Wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge was claimed by the Detroit Lions while guard Colby Gossett was claimed by the Atlanta Falcons.

The only surprise with Hodge was that he wasn't traded by the Browns. It seemed like they could get something for him in a swap, but they ultimately waived him. The Lions are depleted at wide receiver, can use all the help they can get to try to aid new quarterback Jared Goff.

Hodge gets a fresh start in Detroit where he will see far more snaps than he would have with the Browns. He still makes a little over $2 million this year. The Browns loved him, but simply did not have enough roster space for him with the additions of players like Anthony Schwartz and Demetric Felton in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Hodge, at times, played the third receiver spot for the Browns during the 2020 season because he offered the ability to create spacing for the rest of the offense with his speed. He also blocked at a high level. 

Hamstring injuries forced him to miss eight games over the course of the season. Still, when he had opportunities, he cashed them in as all 11 receptions he had went for first downs. Hodge did not drop a pass while averaging 10.6 yards per target.

It's a good opportunity for Hodge to advance his career that he simply would not have had with the Browns this season.

Colby Gossett, on the other hand, was one of around 13 offensive linemen the Browns had that were good enough to make NFL rosters. Between players going on injured reserve and the ten they currently have on their active roster, Gossett is the only one who has gotten away at this point.

Gossett is a bigger guard at around 320 pounds. He opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, but he is someone that Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan has praised at times.

The Falcons, now led by head coach Arthur Smith, seeks to do some of the same things the Browns do offensively, so it might be a good fit for Gossett. Gossett is still reasonably young at 26 years old, so if he can become more consistent, he might be able to find a lasting job, be it with the Falcons or another team in the league.

The Browns had an embarrassment of riches in terms of their offensive line depth while much of the league is desperate for it. Almost any player they let go was going to be claimed. The one exception may be Javon Patterson, who the Browns probably would like back on their practice squad.

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