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On Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns claimed tight end Chase Ford off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens. Ford originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012. He played with the Minnesota Vikings from 2013 to part of 2015, a stretch in which he appeared in 20 games, making 5 starts.
Ford's best season came in 2014, when he registered 23 catches for 258 yards and 1 touchdown in Teddy Bridgewater's rookie season. Ford joined the Ravens mid-way through last season before being placed on injured reserve. The Ravens had signed Ford as a restricted free agent recently, but those contracts aren't guaranteed so they waived him once they were more comfortable with their depth at the tight end position.
Ford (6-6, 245 lbs) had some flashes as a productive run blocker in his limited duty with the Vikings. He could be viewed as a slight upgrade to tight end Jim Dray, who was released earlier this year.