Browns sign tight end Rico Gathers

That did not take very long.

A day after signing fullback Joe Kerridge, the Cleveland Browns waived tight end/fullback Orson Charles.

To fill the roster spot, the club signed former Dallas Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers.

It is a bit of a surprising move as Charles was often seen as a player who would make the final 53-man roster. The four-year veteran spent the 2018 season with the Browns, appearing in 13 games, finishing with three receptions for 23 yards as he was primarily employed as a blocker.

As for Gathers, he was a sixth-round selection by the Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Cowboys released Gathers twice in his rookie season and then he spent the 2017 season in injured reserve.

He finally made it to the roster last season and played in 15 games, making four starts, and finishing the year with three receptions for 45 yards.

The Cowboys released Gathers on August 7 for a variety of reasons, as outlined by Kevin Sherrington at The Dallas Morning News:

Didn’t work because (Gathers) hadn’t played football since junior high. Doesn’t always just come to you. Playing TE is more than catching passes. Lot of blocking, which no one likes to do, especially no one who didn’t play football in college or high school. Lot of nuance to it, as well. Gathers is a great athlete, but he just didn’t seem to catch on to everything required. The Cowboys wanted to give it a chance because of his athleticism.

Gathers has also been dealing with an ankle injury and faces a one-game suspension to open the regular season after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Maybe running back Kareem Hunt and wide receiver Antonio Callaway can invite Gathers over to watch the Browns first game with them.