The Browns made a roster move involving a "big" player on Halloween. Veteran defensive tackle Ted Washington was placed on the injured reserve after his playing time had decreased significantly over the past few weeks. In fact, Ethan Kelley has started more games than Washington did this season. The team probably would have preferred to keep Washington on board as an insurance policy, but the natural process of getting older has posed a problem.
Last week, Shaun Smith started at defensive end again, despite reports prior to the game that Orpheus Roye seemed ready to resume his role as a starter. I'm curious to see when Roye will actually be back in his starting role, and whether or not the team will finally move Smith to the position he was acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals for: defensive tackle. Kelly's one bull-rush on Marc Bulger was sick last week, but he seemed rather non-existent beyond that.
Taking Washington's spot is a cornerback who has seen significant playing time in the NFL already: Ricardo Colclough from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Colclough, a second-round pick from the 2004 NFL Draft, was waived by the Steelers after being a backup defensive back and special teams contributor over the past four seasons. After playing often as a backup in his first two seasons, Colclough barely played or didn't play at all over the past two seasons.
With the Browns signing their second cornerback in as many weeks, it'll be interesting to see if any other roster moves will be made. If you're wondering about getting Grady Jackson still, forget about it: the Jacksonville Jaguars already signed him.
This Sunday, two players will return to play their former team: Charlie Frye and Brian Russell. While Frye is a backup, Russell is the team's starting safety, and he is appreciative of his time spent with the Browns and head coach Romeo Crennel.