The Cleveland Browns have reportedly signed veteran Mike Ford Jr. to the practice squad.
The Cleveland Browns made several roster moves on Tuesday as they trimmed their training camp roster down from 90 to 53 players. With the initial 53-man roster set, Browns GM Andrew Berry will now work on filling out Cleveland’s 16-man practice squad for the 2024 season.
According to WEWS’ Camryn Justice, the Browns are bringing back veteran cornerback Mike Ford Jr. and signing him to the practice squad. The Houston Texans released Ford on Tuesday after he signed a two-year, $4.5 million deal with the team in the offseason.
Last season with the Browns, the veteran defender recorded 28 combined tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception in 16 games (one start). Ford Jr. struggled somewhat in pass coverage as he allowed five receiving touchdowns (most in his career).
However, he only possessed a 63.6 completion percentage allowed on targets. Ford played 16 percent of defensive snaps as most of his time in Cleveland was on special teams (74 percent).
That said, Ford being signed to the practice squad gives Cleveland additional reinforcements in the secondary this season. This offseason, the Browns have seen starting cornerbacks Greg Newsome II undergo hamstring surgery and Denzel Ward suffer a concussion.
With the NFL being a pass-heavy league, it doesn’t hurt to have multiple cornerbacks on the 53-man roster and the practice squad. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see who else the Browns will add to the taxi squad with Week 1 of the 2024 season on the horizon.
