Amid a small flurry of roster moves yesterday, the Cleveland Browns signed offensive guard Hjalte Froholdt.
Froholdt was sitting on the Houston Texans practice squad over the first four weeks of the season.
He played in 8 games for the New England Patriots in 2020.
Originally from Denmark, Froholdt played football as a sophomore foreign exchange student in Warren, Ohio.
He returned to Denmark for his junior year but was invited to attend the prestigious IMG Academy as a senior.
Bret Bielema recruited Froholdt to his Arkansas Razorbacks team.
By the time Froholdt entered the 2019 NFL Draft, Bielema was with the Patriots, who made the Dane a 4th round pick.
He is only the second Danish citizen to play in the NFL after kicker Morten Andersen.
What It Means For Hjalte Froholdt
Froholdt gets another shot at playing in meaningful NFL games with the Browns.
The newest Browns spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury sustained in a preseason game.
He made the Patriots roster in 2020 but played just 61 offensive snaps over 8 games.
New England also used him on special teams, where he racked up 32 more snaps.
But the team cut Froholdt after that eighth game, and he was claimed off waivers by the Houston Texans.
He spent the final month of the 2020 season on the Covid list.
Houston made him one of their final roster cuts this September before adding him to their practice squad.
Injuries along the Cleveland Browns offensive line might give Froholdt a chance to see more snaps in 2021.
What It Means To the Browns
Cleveland moved reserve guard/center, Nick Harris, to the injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Left tackle Jedrick Wills is dealing with lingering ankle issues from an injury incurred in Week 1.
Backup tackle, Chris Hubbard, missed the last couple of games with a triceps injury.
But Froholdt has never played tackle, so it is not likely he will help shore up the line outside.
There is speculation Hubbard could return to the field in Week 5.
Wills was expected to get an MRI on his irksome ankle to decide if he is doing more damage by playing.
If the Browns decide to shelve Wills for a while, another roster move could be forthcoming.
Cleveland opened a second roster spot by canceling the contract of linebacker Elijah Lee Tuesday.
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