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So much for Thaddeus Lewis having a chance to compete to be the Cleveland Browns' No. 3 quarterback in 2013:
Browns waive QB Thaddeus Lewis, per league source.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 22, 2013
It is not like the Browns had some long-running ties or investment in Lewis, but it still seemed like he was a viable option to bring in as a fourth quarterback. There is no word yet on who he is being waived for; we'll see if there is an undrafted free agent quarterback who caught Cleveland's eye.
Lewis originally joined the Browns at the start of the 2011 season, when he was claimed off waivers from Pat Shurmur's former team, the St. Louis Rams. At the time, Rams fans were disappointed to see him waived, believing he should be Sam Bradford's backup quarterback.
When Joe Haden returned from his suspension part-way through 2012, the Browns waived Lewis and put him on the practice squad. He was called up to the 53-man roster in Week 17 to start against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL. Given the circumstances, Lewis did quite a good job, completing 22-of-32 passes for 204 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception in a losing effort.
This offseason, the Browns have already gotten rid of two of their quarterbacks from last year -- Colt McCoy via a trade to the 49ers, and now Lewis. The only one who remains is starter Brandon Weeden, now in his second year. Jason Campbell was added earlier in free agency, and Brian Hoyer was signed last week. Campbell and Hoyer should compete for the No. 2 and No. 3 roles in training camp.
Are you disappointed in Lewis departing?
UPDATE: Lewis tweeted the following goodbye message to fans:
Thanks to all the fans and support. Cleveland was fun thanks for the opportunity. Now I'm looking forward to whatever's next.
— Thaddeus Lewis (@t_lew9) May 23, 2013