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The Cleveland Browns signed second-year receiver Bryce Treggs to their active roster off the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad. To make room, they waived receiver Jordan Leslie who is believed to have torn one of his hamstrings, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The #Browns waived/injured WR Jordan Leslie because of what is believed to be a torn hamstring, source said. They signed WR Bryce Treggs.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 4, 2017
Treggs, a 6-foot, 185-pound former California Bears standout wide receiver, spent most of 2016 on Philadelphia’s roster after going undrafted and initially being picked up by the San Francisco 49ers. He appeared in nine games for the Eagles, and finished the season with three catches for 80 yards. At Cal, Treggs finished third in school history with 195 receptions and fourth with 2,506 receiving yards.
In the 2017 preseason, Treggs led the Eagles in receiving and was passed over for a roster spot, instead being kept in a reserve role on their practice squad.
Mounting injuries to Browns receivers has obviously made the position pretty thin this week, giving Treggs a clear path towards seeing not only active status on game day, but possibly even game action.
“Philly agreed to match [the Browns’ offer], but at the end of the day, I want to get on the field, I want to play,” Treggs said after Wednesday’s practice, per team press release.
And the Eagles didn’t offer to match the Browns’ offer with a spot on their active roster, so he would have remained on their practice squad. Considering that, it’s a no-brainer why he decided to come to Cleveland.
Opportunity was a big factor, but it was Hue Jackson’s personal call and history with his family that made the decision even easier.
“I got a call from (Head Coach) Hue Jackson and that kind of convinced me after I had a conversation with him,” Treggs added. “Great coach, recruited my dad out of high school, have a relationship with him so I am very excited to be playing for him.”
It’s unfortunate the Browns lost Leslie so quickly after he made an outstanding first NFL catch last week, probably the best you’ll see by one of their receivers all season. But the “next man up” manta is true, and the Browns have to find a way to consistently and effectively execute their offense.
Treggs could help in that department, but it may take some time for him to get brought up to speed. We’ll see how the Browns utilize him this week, if at all, and in the coming weeks.