The Cleveland Browns have cut wide receiver James Proche II ahead of the team’s matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Browns announced on Saturday that they would be terminating Proche’s contract. This season, Proche has bounced on and off the active roster. He played on just a handful of offensive snaps but made some plays as a return man.
Proche was a sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 out of SMU. He’s appeared in 14 games over the last two seasons with Cleveland.
The Browns announced several roster moves alongside the release of wide receiver James Proche II. Cleveland activated linebacker Mohamoud Diabate and defensive tackles Maurice Hurst II and Mike Hall Jr.
In other moves, the team placed offensive tackle James Hudson III (shoulder) on injured reserve. Additionally, safety Christopher Edmonds and wide receiver Jaelon Darden were elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.
Browns Star WR Amari Cooper in Trade Rumors
Getty ImagesAmari Cooper has struggled this season with the Browns.
The Browns offense has struggled to start the year, as had Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper. He has just 20 catches this season for 208 yards and two touchdowns — the majority of that coming in one game against the New York Giants.
Cooper’s lack of production, coupled with the fact that he’s in a contract year, has sparked trade rumors. While the noise surrounding Cooper’s future in Cleveland is growing, he’s maintained that he hasn’t heard it.
“I’m not thinking about that,” Cooper said this week. “I’m not thinking about us not winning some games — I’m thinking about us winning some games. So that doesn’t even cross my mind.”
The Browns’ offense is averaging an NFL-worst 239.4 yards per game. Cleveland’s 142.8 passing yards per game is the third lowest in the league.
If the Browns were to move on from Cooper, it would leave Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore as the team’s top pass-catchers.
Mike Hall Big Addition for Browns’ Defense
Getty ImagesThe Browns drafted DT Mike Hall in the second round to add some youth to their defensive line.
The Browns made a notable roster move by activating Hall. The rookie, a second-round pick, entered the season with high expectations, but his debut was delayed after being placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list following his August arrest on domestic violence charges. Hall served a five-game suspension before joining the active roster.
He’ll be a big addition in the middle of the Browns defensive line. He has some good mentors, including reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
“We just try to give him knowledge and catch him up on things since he hasn’t been out there. We talk about what we’ve been seeing, explain how we approach the game and what’s out thought process,” Garrett said. “He’s a pretty high IQ kid as far as football. So, we got to get him up to speed so that when he gets out there he’s impactful, he’s making plays and he’s meshing well with it.”
The Browns enter Week 6 at 1-4 and are the largest underdog on the Week 6 slate. Cleveland is an 8.5-point underdog against the Eagles.
J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He graduated from Arizona State and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SBNation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote
