Cleveland Browns Axe Bell, Try Out Cringeworthy Former 1st Rounder

The Cleveland Browns appear fairly settled on their receiving corps with the season opener looming. However, for a team hoping to build on a Wild Card playoff loss last season, there's always room to improve. On Thursday, the Cleveland Browns waived Wideout David Bell after the 2022 third-round draft pick failed to make much of an impression over the past two seasons. One day later, Cleveland auditioned his possible replacement: Kadarius Toney.

Toney, the No. 20 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, has tantalized both the Giants and Kansas City Chiefs with his explosive speed — and frustrated both teams with his propensity to drop the ball.

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Cleveland Browns Seeking Depth At WR

After a brief flirtation with trading for San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk came up empty, the Cleveland Browns current depth chart at the position features Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, and rookie Jamari Thrash.

While the Cleveland Browns do not appear to be in the market for a shock move to add a big name opposite Cooper, Cleveland's depth at wideout is perilously thin. The team brought in nine receiver candidates on Thursday after cutting Bell, before taking a look at Toney on Friday.

Toney's Recent Struggles

Toney became a comical foil last season for the Chiefs, showing an ability to drop a pass that was reminiscent of the Featherstone character in the 1991 comedy classic Necessary Roughness. With Kansas City featuring prominently on national television amidst the team's run to a second-straight Super Bowl title, Toney's drops became a running joke among NFL fans throughout the league. The Chiefs attempted to trade Toney this past offseason but were unsuccessful. He was waived as Kansas City trimmed its roster to 53 players on August 27.

Toney, highly regarded by NFL teams coming out of Florida in 2021, has not been able to get his professional career on track. In three NFL seasons, he has started just 10 of 32 total games and logged just 82 receptions for 760 yards and three touchdowns in that time. Last season, he started two of 13 games played, catching 27 passes for 169 yards and one score on 38 targets in the Chiefs' high-octane offense.

Cleveland Browns Are Second Team Toney Has Visited

Before trying out for the Cleveland Browns, Toney had a free agent visit with the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. He apparently found no takers in the "Emerald City," and there was no sign as of Friday evening that he should start looking for an apartment in Cleveland either. Any possible replacement for Bell would be inactive for Sunday's Week 1 home matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, so there is no rush at this point for the Browns to fill Bell's former roster spot until next week.

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Article originally written by Tom Carothers