:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/24047889/20130817_jla_bs8_131.0.jpg)
He's not Kickalicious, but the Cleveland Browns have themselves a trick-shot artist -- at the quarterback position. The Browns signed Alex Tanney off of the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad on Tuesday, and he is expected to back up Brandon Weeden this Sunday while Jason Campbell is dealing with a concussion. This will be the first time the Browns have had three quarterbacks on their roster since Brian Hoyer tore his ACL earlier this season against the Buffalo Bills.
If you haven't heard of Tanney before, the video above will get you pretty pumped up about him. With that type of precision, one would think that with the right level of protection, Tanney would excel as an NFL quarterback. That's the problem, though -- the video shows what Tanney is capable of from a standstill position, but it doesn't account for whether his mechanics would be up-to-par when he is facing a pass rush.
In 2012, Tanney (6-4, 220 lbs) signed with the Kansas City Chiefs for training camp and played in one preseason game before being placed on injured reserve. When he was released back in May, the Cowboys snatched him up
This preseason, Tanney was 40-of-73 (54.8%) for 423 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. He was also sacked 11 times and ran the ball 7 times for 25 yards. I wanted to do some film analysis from his preseason games, but unfortunately, the NFL's Game Rewind package does not include preseason games. Upon being plucked off Dallas' practice squad by Cleveland, Tanney had this to say:
Thankful for everything the Jones family and Dallas staff has done for me. Great organization. New chapter starts in Cleveland today #Browns
— Alex Tanney (@AlexTanney) November 26, 2013
The Browns had also brought in former Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie for a tryout, but did not sign him.
Cleveland made a second roster move by claiming tight end Andre Smith (6-4, 270 lbs) off waivers from the Cowboys. Smith went undrafted in 2011 and was signed to the offseason roster of the Bears. He they bounced over to the Colts for a little bit before joining the Cowboys the past two years. Although he was on the Cowboys' roster all season up until this week, he only played in three games. He saw a total of 8 offensive snaps and 8 special teams snaps during those games.
It sounded like Smith was highly thought of for his blocking abilities in Dallas, even though he was used sparingly. Cleveland already has a guy who is "supposed" to fit that bill in tight end Keavon Milton, so it seems unusual to have both players on the roster. For what it's worth, Smith had one catch this preseason, and it went for 27 yards over the middle. The person who threw the pass? Alex Tanney.
Rather than placing Campbell or tight end MarQueis Gray on injured reserve, the Browns decided to waive OL Patrick Lewis and WR Brian Tyms to make room for Tanney and Smith. With Tyms gone, perhaps Josh Cooper will actually get a few reps at wide receiver on Sunday.