Woods caught two of three targets for seven yards in Sunday's 21-7 loss to Kansas City in Week 15.
Woods was once again elevated to No. 3 wideout as Cedric Tillman (concussion) was inactive, and he played 100 percent of the offensive snaps. All that activity didn't translate into meaningful production for Woods, who's been targeted 11 times (once in the red zone) in three weeks as Tillman's replacement. The Browns benched starting quarterback Jameis Winston and may have Dorian Thompson-Robinson start the final three weeks, which could alter the target distribution beginning in Week 16 at Cincinnati.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Expected third WR Sunday
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Woods should maintain his role as the third wide receiver Sunday against the Chiefs, as Cedric Tillman has been ruled out.
Woods has eight targets and played 81.6 percent of the offensive snaps over the last two weeks while filling in for Tillman. Prior to his concussion, Tillman generated 44 targets and three touchdowns over five games, so the third wide receiver carries potential in a Jameis Winston-led offense. Cleveland hopes to use a more balanced run/pass ratio Sunday and minimize the opportunities for the Chiefs' offense; however, the Browns often play from behind and Winston has averaged 43.2 attempts per game over the last six weeks.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Signed to active roster
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The Browns signed Woods from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Woods was elevated to the Browns' active roster for Week 13 against the Broncos, and he finished with three catches (on five targets) for 45 yards while playing 64 snaps on offense. With Cedric Tillman (concussion) ruled out for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Woods will likely be on the field for three-wideout sets alongside Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Makes season debut
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Woods caught three of five targets for 43 yards in Monday's 41-32 loss to the Broncos.
Woods was elevated from the practice squad and made his season debut. Filling in for an injured Cedric Tillman (concussion), Woods saw his first action since Week 17 of the 2022 season and finished fourth among Browns pass catchers in targets on a night in which quarterback Jameis Winston attempted 58 passes. He played 66 snaps on offense and was the preferred option three-receiver sets alongside Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore over depth wideouts Jamari Thrash (15 snaps), Kadarius Toney (six) and Jaelon Darden (zero). If Tillman remains sidelined for Sunday's game in Pittsburgh, Woods will likely be elevated from the practice squad again and could be in store for another sizable snap count.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Scores twice in finale
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Woods caught five of nine targets for 53 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's preseason finale against Seattle.
Woods, a sixth-round draft pick in 2022, had just two targets during the preseason prior to Saturday's robust activity. Whether there's a roster spot for Woods depends on how many wide receivers the Browns intend to keep and how significant David Bell's quadriceps injury is. If Bell is ready for the regular season opener, that would give Cleveland five likely locks. If they keep a sixth, then it would come down to Woods or Jamari Thrash, the latter of whom is a 2024 fifth-round draft pick that came on over the last two weeks.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Participating in OTAs
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Woods (Achilles) took part in Wednesday's OTA session, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Woods, who had his six-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy lifted in January, appears to have bulked up since last season. Additionally, the 2022 sixth-round pick appears to have moved past an Achilles injury that he sustained last April, costing him the entire 2023 season. Now that Woods is back on the field, he'll have an opportunity to compete for a depth role in a Cleveland wideout corps that's led by Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Has suspension lifted
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Woods (Achilles) had his suspension lifted by the NFL on Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Woods was given a six-game suspension in early December for violating the league's personal conduct policy, and he's now served his punishment for the required number of contests. The ban didn't impact his ability to take the field, as the wideout ruptured his Achilles in early April and was consequently ruled out for the season. Woods will look to be healthy enough to participate in training camp this summer.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Shifts to different list
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Woods (Achilles) was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list Tuesday.
Woods was previously on the active/NFI list, but with no chance of returning in 2023 due to a ruptured Achilles, the move makes sense. The 2022 sixth-round selection will continue to focus on his recovery and making a healthy return in 2024.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Diagnosed with ruptured Achilles
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Woods has been diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles and will likely miss the entire 2023 campaign after undergoing surgery, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Woods suffered the injury during an offseason workout with Deshaun Watson. As a rookie last year, the sixth-round pick caught five of 10 targets for 45 yards across 10 appearances (144 offensive snaps). The injury has little impact on Cleveland's targeting depth chart. The Browns fortified their receiving corps with the additions Elijah Moore, Marquise Goodwin and Jordan Akins.
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Browns' Michael Woods: May have suffered serious injury
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The Browns are concerned that Woods may have suffered a torn Achilles during workouts with quarterback Deshaun Watson, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports.
Woods, a 2022 sixth-round pick, suited up for 10 games as a rookie and secured five of 10 targets for 45 yards. It would be a brutal turn of events if he's indeed suffered a torn Achilles during early offseason personal workouts, as that would jeopardize his availability for the entire 2023 campaign. It sounds like Cleveland will have an official update on the severity of Woods' injury after further testing Tuesday.
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Browns' Michael Woods: One target in loss
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Woods did not catch his lone target in Sunday's 39-17 loss to Miami.
All of Cleveland's active wideouts were targeted in the blowout loss, as they fell behind by multiple scores early in the second half. Woods is playing catchup after missing the first five weeks of the season, but the rookie has moved ahead of Anthony Schwartz to fourth on the depth chart.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Making his debut
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Woods is active Sunday against the Patriots, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Woods has yet to be active this season, after being selected in the sixth round by the Browns in the 2022 Draft. He'll work to make an impact in his NFL debut, although it's not certain he'll get on the field.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Will sit Sunday
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Woods (coach's decision) is inactive Sunday against the Jets.
Woods missed last week and part of this week with an illness. However, he did return to practice in full Thursday. The team's projected No. 5 wideout will work to earn a chance to suit up in Week 3 against the Steelers in practice next week.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Dealing with illness
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Woods didn't practice Friday due to an illness, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Woods dealt with a hamstring injury for the majority of training camp, and he's now on the injury report with an illness. Even if he clears both issues ahead of Week 1, the rookie sixth-round pick isn't expected to garner a major offensive role during Sunday's season opener against the Panthers.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Makes team
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Woods (hamstring) returned to practice Tuesday, Mark Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.
It was quite a day for the rookie sixth-round pick out of Oklahoma, who returned to the field for the first time since Aug. 5 and also successfully made the Browns' 53-man roster. While Woods will likely play a limited role out of the gate, there could be opportunities for him to climb the wide receiver depth chart as the season unfolds given Cleveland's lack of established talent at the position behind offseason acquisition Amari Cooper.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Injures hamstring
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Woods will miss "some time" due to a hamstring injury, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Woods, who had already injured his hamstring during the offseason program, aggravated the injury during Wednesday's practice. Coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters, "It's something that affected him back in the spring, so we're just going to be smart," which likely means the team will be in no hurry to rush the 2022 sixth-round pick back on the field.
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Browns' Michael Woods: Sitting out with hamstring injury
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Woods (hamstring) sat out Friday's practice due to a hamstring injury, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.
Woods joins the extensive list of banged-up Browns receivers. The severity of his injury has yet to be determined, but another update on Woods' status should surface before Cleveland's Aug. 12 preseason opener in Jacksonville.
