The Browns released Ricci (knee) with an injury settlement Thursday.
Ricci injured his knee in Cleveland's second preseason game against Minnesota on Saturday. He was competing for a depth tight end spot on the Browns' 53-man roster, but now that he's been let go, he'll look to catch on with a team once he's fully healthy. Ricci played in five regular-season games for the Panthers in 2023, finishing with one catch for two yards while playing 100 snaps (12 on offense, 88 on special teams).
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Browns' Giovanni Ricci: Expects to miss multiple weeks
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Coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday that Ricci (knee) is expected to miss "a few weeks," Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Ricci picked up a knee issue during Saturday's preseason game versus the Vikings, and it sounds like it could compromise his availability for Week 1 of the regular season. Until he can come back, rookie undrafted free agent Treyton Welch could see increased reps.
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Browns' Giovanni Ricci: Hurts knee in preseason contest
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Ricci injured his knee during Saturday's exhibition game against Minnesota and has been ruled out from returning, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
It's not yet clear how severe Ricci's injury is or whether it will cause him to miss time beyond Saturday's contest. Prior to getting hurt, the 27-year-old put up a strong stat line with four catches (on four targets) for 32 yards against the Vikings. If Ricci's knee issue doesn't prove to be serious, he has a good shot of making the Browns' 53-man roster as the No. 3 tight end. He's also capable of lining up at fullback.
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Browns' Giovanni Ricci: Joins Browns
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Ricci (shoulder) and the Browns agreed on a one-year contract Wednesday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Ricci spent the last three seasons with the Panthers before the team decided to not tender him Friday, and he'll now get a fresh start with the Browns. The 27-year-old will have an opportunity to operate in an offense that includes Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb (knee) and Amari Cooper, amongst others.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Heads to IR
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The Panthers placed Ricci (shoulder) on injured reserve Tuesday.
Ricci was ruled out for the Panthers' Week 6 contest against the Dolphins after aggravating his shoulder injury during practice. The third-year tight end from Western Michigan has played mostly on special teams with the emergence of rookie Sam LaPorta. Ricci will now miss at least the next four games and will be eligible to return in Week 12 against the titans on Nov. 26.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Out for Week 6
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Ricci (shoulder) is listed as out for Sunday's game at Miami.
Ricci presumably aggravated a lingering shoulder injury at practice during the week, missing practice Thursday and Friday after not being listed on the injury report Wednesday. The lion's share of his contributions through five games this season have come on special teams, so Carolina will have to try to find a way to replace his production in that phase.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Limited again
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Ricci (shoulder) was a limited participant during Wednesday's and Thursday's practices.
The 26-year-old seems to be dealing with a shoulder injury after the Panthers' Week 4 loss to Minnesota. Ricci is a core special-teams player for Carolina, as he's played on 66 percent of the team's special-teams snaps and recorded two tackles on the year.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Sticking with the Panthers
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Carolina signed Ricci to a new contract Monday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Ricci will now avoid becoming an exclusive-rights free agent heading into this coming offseason. The 26-year-old fullback served as a core special-teamer for the second season in a row in 2022, though he also added the first eight receptions of his career for 100 yards over 15 games. Ricci should will likely enter the 2023 regular season as the clear front-runner for the Panthers' starting fullback job.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Sheds injury designation
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Ricci (neck) was a full participant in practice Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Ricci has been out of action since Week 10, but after he was able to complete a limited practice Wednesday, the 26-year-old upgraded to a full participant Thursday. He should return to his starting fullback role Sunday against the Seahawks.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Limited Wednesday
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Ricci (neck) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
Ricci hasn't played since Week 10 due to a neck issue. This isn't the first time he's logged limited participation since picking up the injury, so he'll likely have to submit at least one full practice before returning to game action.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Doubtful against Denver
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Ricci (neck) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Broncos.
Ricci was unable to practice at all throughout the week. The fullback is likely to miss a second consecutive game after getting injured in Week 10 against the Falcons.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Sheds injury designation
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Ricci practiced at full capacity Friday and carries no injury designation ahead of Carolina's Week 1 matchup versus Cleveland, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
Ricci has been dealing with a hip injury he suffered during the Panthers' preseason finale, but he appears to have put that behind him. The NFL sophomore from Western Michigan will likely operate primarily on special teams, but he should see some snaps as a lead blocker for Christian McCaffrey or Chuba Hubbard as well.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Practices in limited capacity
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Ricci (hip) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Ricci suffered the injury during the preseason finale, but he'll have a chance to suit up in Week 1 after returning to practice Wednesday. The undrafted fullback out of Western Michigan appeared in 16 games for the Panthers as a rookie and operated mostly on special teams. If healthy, he figures to garner a similar role in 2022.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Cleared to play in Week 8
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Ricci (concussion) has been cleared to play for the Panthers in their Week 8 contest with the Falcons on Sunday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Ricci suffered a concussion in Week 6 versus the Vikings and was forced to exit that game early. The fullback was ruled out of Week 7 action but will look to make his return to the field in Week 8 after getting cleared from concussion protocols Friday. Expect Ricci to play a minimal role in the Panthers' offense Sunday.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Ruled out for Week 7
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Ricci (concussion) won't play Sunday against the Giants, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Ricci will still need to clear concussion protocol before he's eligible to return to the field. The rookie fullback and tight end has featured exclusively in a blocking role on offense, though Ricci has also carved out a consistent role on special teams. Given his usage up to this point, Ricci's absence will go unnoticed in fantasy circles.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Unavailable for practice
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Ricci (concussion) missed practice again Thursday.
The 25-year-old remains in concussion protocol, causing him to miss a second consecutive practice. He suffered the injury in Week 6 versus Vikings, exiting the contest early. His chances for suiting up Sunday against the Giants are slim, but he still has one more practice Friday to make an appearance.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Operating as blocking tight end
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Ricci has been active for both of the Panthers' first two games of the season, logging no targets across 27 total offensive snaps.
As the lack of targets illustrate, Ricci, a second-year player out of Western Michigan, has been deployed mainly as a blocker at tight end or out of the backfield over his limited work on offense. The 24-year-old looks like a core special-teams player at this stage, as he's played 39 snaps between the Panthers' coverage and returns units. Ricci isn't entirely devoid of pass-catching upside -- he hauled in 51 balls for 642 yards and eight touchdowns in his final season of college in 2019 -- but it'll take multiple injuries at tight end before he takes on any sort of meaningful role on offense.
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Panthers' Giovanni Ricci: Inks future contract
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The Panthers signed Ricci to a reserve/future contract Monday, Will Bryan of the team's official site reports.
Ricci failed to make the active roster in Carolina after posting a 51-642-8 line in his senior season at Western Michigan. The 24-year-old will run it back in 2021 with hopes of securing a depth role.
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Giovanni Ricci: Cut by Panthers
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Ricci was waived by Carolina on Saturday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
The undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan was vying for a reserve tight-end role, but the Panthers opted to keep just two tight ends -- Ian Thomas (toe) and Chris Manhertz. Ricci proved to have pass-catching upside in college, hauling in 51 passes for 642 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season, so the Panthers may look to develop him on the practice squad.
