With Johnny Manziel unable to throw at least for now and Connor Shaw out possibly for the year with a thumb injury, the Browns signed journeyman quarterback Pat Devlin on Thursday after bringing him in for an emergency workout.
The Browns insist they’re just playing it safe with Manziel, but he’s twice been forced out of practice due to a sore elbow and now missing an important evaluation opportunity in Saturday night’s preseason game at Tampa Bay.
Devlin spent three years with the Dolphins, last year with the Vikings and part of the offseason with the Bears. The Browns need him to serve as the team’s third quarterback Saturday at Tampa Bay and possibly to play in next week’s preseason finale at Chicago if Manziel isn’t ready to return.
To make room for Devlin the team waived Ryan Seymour, a backup interior lineman who was recently suspended for the season’s first four games for a violation of the league’s performance enhancing drugs policy. Seymour started three games at center late last season.