Remember Ryan Tucker? There's a chance that he can still help this football team. With the streak that the Browns are currently on, and the lack of a veteran presence Nat Dorsey would provide if one of our starting tackles went down, having Tucker on the roster makes more sense than cutting him. Still, it is wise to look at all of the Browns' alternatives. They must make a decision at some point this week, and it'll probably be sooner than later. Here are some possibilities:
- Two Punters (No-No): There have been rumors that Dave Zastudil may return this week, and then there have been rumors that we're comfortable with Scott Player, and thus could afford to place Zastudil on the injured reserve. Making a decision at the punter's position wouldn't really cause a negative effect around the team, and would open up a roster spot.
- Release Tucker: As I stated in the introduction, I think this would be a mistake. Kelly Butler has veteran experience, but the Browns keep putting him on the inactive list.
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Trade Tucker: This is an interesting situation actually. Here is a story from the CBS Sportsline, involving trade rumors between the Minnesota Vikings and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
The Tampa Tribune reports that there are early talks between the Vikings and Buccaneers that would send RB Chester Taylor and OT Bryant McKinnie to Tampa Bay in exchange for either a player or two and/or a package of draft picks. Earlier Tuesday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Vikings coach Brad Childress is planning on splitting the reps between Taylor and rookie Adrian Peterson, but with the Bucs hobbling at running back and left tackle, and in first place in the NFC South, those plans might change.The Buccaneers are contending, and Tucker could be the type of player that the Buccaneers would call the Browns about. Of course, there are 30 other teams they could also call, but the idea is still out there.
- Other Moves: What else could the Browns do? We could do something obscure such as waiving a special teams linebacker (Kris Griffin) or a third-team running back (Jerome Harrison), but those ideas seem unlikely.