The secondary that is currently playing defense off of the coast of Lake Erie, and the Cleveland Browns may have had enough of it. Today, the Browns had three safeties in for tryouts, according to the league’s transaction memo. The most notable name of these tryouts was former Cincinnati Bearcats standout James Wiggins.
With the Baltimore Ravens up next in just two days, the Cleveland defense needs to turn it around to attempt to save their season. While these tryouts will not help that cause this week, the Browns bringing in three of one position is certainly a sign of displeasure.
We take a look at the three names here.
James Wiggins
Wiggins was a standout safety for the Bearcats from 2017-2020, where he even racked up four interceptions in a season at Cincinnati. While the safety struggled with injuries during his tenure, he was named to Bruce Feldman’s Freak List twice during his time in college.
That athleticism showed up at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a blazing 4.41 40-yard dash, leaped to a 38-inch vertical, hit 10-foot-7 on his broad jump, and benched 225 pounds 22 times. He went on to be selected in the seventh round by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2021 NFL Draft but failed to make the roster this past summer.
Wiggins has spent time this season on the practice squad of the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he was released from their practice squad about a month ago.
Mike Brown
Wiggins was not the only safety who played his college football in the state of Ohio who was at the tryout today as former Miami of Ohio Redhawk Mike Brown was also there. During his final year a year ago, Brown racked up 36 solo tackles, 9.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, and one forced fumble.
Brown is listed at just 6-foot-0 and 218 pounds, and his athletic profile is not nearly as thrilling as Wiggins’. He ran just a 4.59 40-yard dash, leaped to a 33-inch vertical, and tested just okay on his abilities.
After going undrafted this past Spring, Brown signed with the Minnesota Vikings but failed to make the final 53-man roster. He was then signed to the practice squad of the Green Bay Packers but was released on September 22. The Vikings then brought Brown back two weeks ago before releasing him from the practice squad once again.
Bryce Cosby
Staying in the Mid-American Conference, the Browns also tried out former Ball State safety Bryce Cosby. During his five seasons in Muncie, Indiana, Cosby was nothing but consistent as he picked off two passes each season, for 10 career interceptions. He racked up a massive 11.5 tackles for loss in 2021 and batted down 15 passes in his career.
At just 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds, Cosby is undersized, and not a great athlete. While he has great initial speed, the last 20 yards of his 40-yard dash sank his time. He ran just a 4.65 40-yard dash but did leap to a 39-inch vertical jump. His agility times were just about average for his position.
He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders after going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. Cosby did not make the final roster but was signed to their practice squad. He, however, was released from the Raiders’ practice squad just four days ago.
