Ahead of their Week 2 game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Cleveland Browns surprisingly waived rookie wide receiver Gage Larvadain to make room for rookie running back Quinshon Judkins on the 53-man roster.
The Browns were taking a notable risk by exposing the preseason star to waivers, as he could get claimed by another team. However, Cleveland’s gamble paid off as they re-signed Larvadain to the practice squad on Tuesday, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal.
We had a small inkling that the rookie wide receiver could immediately return to Cleveland, as Brad Stainbrook reported last weekend that the Browns planned to re-sign him to the taxi squad if he cleared waivers.
Browns Bring Back Preseason Star Gage Larvadain Ahead of Week 3
Larvadain did not play in the Browns’ regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals as he was a healthy scratch.
However, with veteran wide receiver/kick returner DeAndre Carter in the concussion protocol, it could open the door for the rookie wide receiver to get called up for Week 3. If Carter misses this week, the Browns need someone else to pair with Jerome Ford on kick returns. Meanwhile, they could turn to rookie Isaiah Bond on punt returns.
The former South Carolina wide receiver made a name for himself in the preseason en route to making the 53-man roster. Larvadain had nine receptions (17 targets) for 94 yards and a touchdown across three games.
As a receiver, the 5-foot-8 Larvadain does a good job tracking the deep ball, and he’s not afraid to go up to make a challenging catch.
In addition to his production on offense, the Browns gave the rookie wide receiver a chance to prove himself on special teams. Larvadain averaged 10.4 yards per punt return (10 attempts) in the summer circuit.
For an undrafted free agent wide receiver to make the 53-man roster, he has to be able to play special teams, whether that’s kick/punt coverage or a return specialist.
Nonetheless, it's good to see the Browns stick by their word and bring back the rookie. Now, it remains to be seen whether he’ll make his NFL debut this week against the Green Bay Packers or in the coming weeks.