One of the more interesting decisions the Cleveland Browns made this offseason that didn’t involve a quarterback fizzled out very quickly. When the team cut the roster down to the initial 53-man, only two tight ends remained. GM Andrew Berry lost out on a waiver claim for a third and brought in a veteran for a workout to possibly fill that role.
The player some (including this writer) thought might get the role, Marcus Santos-Silva, isn’t even on a team’s practice squad.
The story is a curious one. The team announced that they had signed the former Texas Tech basketball player shortly after the completion of the NFL draft. Santos-Silva hadn’t played football since high school but had some physical gifts that made him intriguing.
It was interesting that the Browns made a special announcement of his signing as an undrafted free agent but announced the other undrafted free agents a week and a half later.
We saw an early look of the former basketball player catching a pass as a highlight shared by the team’s social media. The 6’7″ tight end showed some good physical gifts giving hope that he could make the transition to the NFL.
Instead of making a smooth transition to the league, Cleveland waived Santos-Silva in the second round of moves to get the team down to an 80-man roster a week before the final cut-down day.
From worthy of his own press release right after the NFL draft to discarded before the final roster decisions, Santos-Silva’s Browns story was a quick one. As teams turn their attention to Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season, the former basketball player doesn’t even find himself on a practice squad.
A curious story that shows that physical gifts and previous athletic achievements are far from enough to make it in the NFL. It is still possible that the 25-year-old can make it in the league but it is more likely his football story has ended quietly.
