The Cleveland Browns just reshuffled six roster spots in a single transaction burst — three signings in, three waivers out — right before organized team activities. On paper, these look like forgettable footnotes on the league’s transaction wire. But beneath each name is a career inflection point, a front-office signal, and a glimpse into what NFL teams actually value when no one is watching. Some of these details will surprise you.
A Special Teamer With Modest Defensive Numbers Headlines the Haul
Sep 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Markees Watts (58) against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The centerpiece signing is defensive end Markees Watts, who arrived from Tampa Bay with a stat line that would make most fans shrug: 27 games, 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits across three Buccaneers seasons. Yet Cleveland targeted him specifically. Heavy Sports confirmed that Watts appeared in a career-high 15 games in 2025, and his real value lives on coverage units, not the box score.
Why an Undrafted Edge Rusher Outlasted Draft Picks in Tampa
Oct 26, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Markees Watts (58) in the second quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Watts entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2023, yet he survived three roster cutdowns in Tampa Bay while higher-pedigreed players were released around him. Buccaneers depth-chart breakdowns reveal his defensive snap counts were limited, but he logged significant special-teams reps — including 14 special-teams snaps and the only solo stop in kick coverage in at least one late-season contest. Coaches trusted his assignments over his stats.
The SEC Slot Receiver Cleveland Chose Over Its Own Wideout
Aaron Anderson 1 scores a touchdown as the LSU Tigers take on the South Alabama Jaguars at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA. Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
Wide receiver Aaron Anderson brings a breakout LSU season — 61 catches for 884 yards and five touchdowns — that ranked third in the SEC in receptions and seventh in receiving yards. Scouting reports list him at roughly 5-foot-8 and 188 pounds, profiling him as a quickness-driven slot receiver with yards-after-catch ability and return potential. Cleveland signed him the same day it waived Isaiah Wooden, a similarly undersized wideout from Southern Utah.
One Undersized Receiver Replaced Another — and Pedigree Made the Difference
Oct 2, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Charlotte 49ers defensive end Markees Watts (0) attempts a block on the point after kick of Illinois Fighting Illini kicker James McCourt (17) in the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Wooden, listed at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, had signed a reserve/futures contract with the Browns after playing at Southern Utah. Anderson carries comparable dimensions but logged his production against SEC defenses — the deepest receiver pipeline in college football. The swap reveals an uncomfortable truth about fringe NFL roster decisions: when measurables are comparable, conference strength and national exposure can tip the scale decisively.
The Hometown Linebacker Who Fought Through the Transfer Portal
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. (20) runs past Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Markees Watts (58) during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Linebacker Reid Carrico’s path to Cleveland winds through Ohio State, where he was a reserve, and West Virginia, where he became the starting Mike linebacker. Over 46 games as a Mountaineer, Carrico amassed 124 career tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. His 2025 final season — 70 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks — turned him from a portal afterthought into a legitimate NFL prospect. Local outlets noted his Ironton, Ohio, roots connect him to the regional fanbase.
The Rookie Defensive Tackle Whose Dream Ended Before Camp
Nov 12, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) gets hit by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Markees Watts (58) in the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Bernard Gooden’s waiver may be the most quietly painful move in the batch. The 6-foot-1, 268-pound defensive tackle began his career at Wake Forest in 2022, transferred to South Florida for two years where he posted 35 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in 2024, then joined LSU in spring 2025 and played 12 games for the Tigers. Cleveland signed him as an undrafted free agent, then cut him weeks later before he could reach a single OTA practice.
A Tight End’s Three-Team Tour Ends With Another Waiver
Dec 3, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) runs past Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Markees Watts (58) during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Caden Prieskorn, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end from Ole Miss, had already bounced from the Detroit Lions to the Denver Broncos to Cleveland’s practice squad before this latest waiver. His multi-team journey illustrates the NFL’s willingness to repeatedly evaluate a player type — and its equal willingness to move on abruptly. For Prieskorn, each new opportunity brought hope, and each transaction wire entry brought the same result.
Six Moves Equal Nearly Seven Percent of the Offseason Roster
Clemson running back Travis Etienne (9) runs near Charlotte linebacker Markees Watts(40) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina Saturday, September 21, 2019. Clemson Charlotte Football
The six transactions represent approximately 6.7 percent of Cleveland’s 90-man offseason roster flipping in one burst. That figure exposes how aggressively NFL teams churn their margins in May and June, long before final cuts. The Browns traded a rookie interior lineman and two developmental pieces for a proven special-teams contributor entering his fourth NFL season and two rookies with specific production profiles — a calculated swap of potential for evidence.
The Hidden Economy That Decides Who Makes It to September
Newark’s Markee Ellerbe (21) tries to get around the line as Delaware Military’s Dha-Feir Watts-Henry pursues in the first half of the Seahawk’s 46-0 win at Delaware Military Academy Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Dma 46 Newark 0
These moves destroy a persistent myth: that NFL rosters are shaped only by stars and stats. Watts averaged roughly 0.5 tackles per game across 27 appearances, yet multiple teams valued him. Anderson’s SEC pedigree outweighed Wooden’s similar frame. Carrico’s portal persistence beat raw potential. The bottom of the roster is where franchises quietly reveal their true priorities — special-teams reliability, scheme fit and regional ties — weeks before anyone is paying attention. Which of these six moves do you think the Browns will regret first — the ones they signed, or the ones they let walk? Tell us in the comments.
