Browns sign 14 to reserve/futures deals

The Cleveland Browns saw their season come to a disappointing and frustrating end on Sunday in Kansas City, which means it is now time to get busy on the 2021 season.

To that end, the Browns signed 14 players on their practice squad to reserve/futures contracts on Monday.

Several of the names will be familiar as they spent at least a moment or two of the regular season on the active roster as the Browns dealt with injuries and COVID-19.

The players signed, according to clevelandbrowns.com, include defensive backs Elijah Benton (safety) and A.J. Green (cornerback; wide receivers Ja’Marcus Bradley and Derrick Willies; tight ends Jordan Franks and Kyle Markway; fullback Johnny Stanton; offensive linemen Cordel Iwuagwu (guard), Javon Patterson (center) and Alex Taylor (tackle); quarterback Kyle Lauletta; defensive end Cameron Malveaux; linebacker Montrel Meander; and kicker Matt McCrane.

Signing a player to a reserve/future contract guarantees that a player cannot be signed by another team. The signing goes into effect when the new league begins in March, and the players will count against Cleveland’s salary cap and 90-man roster limit for whatever offseason activities teams may be able to participate in, as well as training camp.

Only players who were not on a team’s active roster at the conclusion of the regular season are eligible for a reserve/future contract.