The Cleveland Browns have parted ways with a running back, with Quinshon Judkins’ return on the immediate horizon.
The Browns cut running back Trayveon Williams from the practice squad and signed defensive tackle Ralph Holley. Williams spent part of the preseason with the Browns before signing with Cleveland’s practice squad.
Williams was originally selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He appeared in 68 games with the Bengals from 2019-24. Last season, he appeared in all 17 games for Cincinnati, playing exclusively on special teams. Williams has registered 307 yards on 62 carries over his NFL career.
He played his college football at Texas A&M. He put up three strong seasons with the Aggies, collecting 3,615 yards and 34 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-SEC selection during his final season, rushing for 1,760 yards and 19 total touchdowns.
Since Williams was only on the practice squad, the Browns will still need to clear a spot on the active roster once Judkins officially signs. Still, moving on from a running back â even at the practice-squad level â signals confidence in the teamâs depth at the position. That group now features Judkins alongside Jerome Ford, Dylan Sampson and Raheim Sanders.
Browns Still Unsure About Quinshon Judkins’ Status
Judkins signed with the Browns just ahead of Week 1. The team has a two-week roster exemption, meaning Judkins does count against the active roster. The team can activate him at any time during that period, eliminating the need to wait two weeks.
Judkins did not play in the opener but could see the field this week against the Baltimore Ravens. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is still unsure if that’ll be the case.
“Weâll see,” Stefanski said on Monday. “Got to get through this week of practice, but donât know.â
Judkins is expected to meet with NFL investigators this week over a domestic battery charge, which was dropped. A suspension is possible but Judkins was not placed on the Commissionerâs Exempt List based on the fact that he has no criminal charges or cases pending.
Quinshon Judkins Likely ‘Bell-Cow’ for Browns
When Judkins does return, he’s likely to see a heavy workload. The Browns selected Judkins in the second round with pick No. 36 overall. Cleveland did so, knowing they were moving on from Nick Chubb, a fan-favorite and four-time Pro Bowler.
âWe feel like heâs just a very well-rounded back,â Browns general manager Andrew Berry said. âWeâve obviously been spoiled over the past couple of years, particularly with Nick and Kareem (Hunt). And we feel like he is very much in that mold in terms of skill set. Not necessarily saying that heâs going to, with certainty, develop into one of those players. We certainly hope thatâs the case. But we think that he can be a bell cow runner that can really carry the load for us.â
Cleveland’s run game was not effective against the Bengals, managing just 40 total yards and just 2.0 yards per carry. What did work was the implementation of rookie Dylan Sampson as a versatile weapon. He led the Browns in carries (12) and catches (8) against the Bengals.
The Browns are a double-digit underdog against the Ravens this week on the road.
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