The Cleveland Browns saw two of their most underrated players walk out the door on Wednesday when tight end Harrison Bryant signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and center/fullback Nick Harris signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
Cleveland Browns Sign TE/FB Giovanni Ricci
Bryant was the second tight end on the team behind David Njoku, and Harris was the backup center but, at the time, would line up to play fullback since the Browns didn’t have one on their 53-man roster. However, the team signed Giovanni Ricci from the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday to play tight end and fullback.
Ricci has been in the NFL for three seasons, all in Carolina. He primarily plays special teams and lines up at either tight end or full back to block.
Ricci is 27 years old and from Loveland, Ohio, so he is returning to the state where he grew up and played college ball at Western Michigan.
With Harris now off the Cleveland Browns roster, Ricci will be the main fullback in critical packages when the offense needs a few yards from one of their running backs. Ricci will have to lead the way.
I would expect Ricci to catch only a few passes since he has only nine receptions in 36 NFL games, eight of which came in 2022.
Ricci missed most of last year’s season with a shoulder injury and only appeared in five games.
How Does The Current Tight End Room Look?
The three-year veteran will likely be the third tight end on the roster since David Njoku and Jordan Akins will be in front of him on the depth chart. He will likely only see the field at the tight end position in heavy sets and blocking personnel, but he should see a lot of time on special teams.
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