Browns sign LB Willie Harvey to active roster

Cleveland makes some roster adjustments that, for once, do not involve placing players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list!

The Cleveland Browns made a few roster adjustments on Saturday that, for seemingly the first time all week, did not involve placing anyone on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Cleveland signed linebacker Willie Harvey Jr. to the active roster, activated defensive end Porter Gustin from the practice squad to the active roster and signed cornerback Bryan Mills to the practice squad.

The fact that the Browns did not make any additional moves could be a sign that they believe some of the key players who are currently out will make it back in time for Monday’s rescheduled game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

As of Saturday morning, however, the Browns had still not activated anyone off of the Reserve/COVID-19 list, which currently includes:

• Quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum
• Running back Kareem Hunt
• Offensive linemen Jedrick Wills Jr. Wyatt Teller and Drew Forbes
• Wide receivers Jarvis Landry and JoJo Natson
• Tight ends Austin Hooper and Ross Travis
• Defensive linemen Jadeveon Clowney, Takk McKinley, Ifeadi Odenigb and Malik McDowell
• Linebackers Jacob Phillips, Mack Wilson Sr. and Tony Fields II
• Cornerbacks Troy Hill and A.J. Green
• Safeties John Johnson III, Ronnie Harrison Jr., Grant Delpit and Nate Meadors
• Punter Jamie Gillan

The Browns have until 4 p.m. on Sunday for the players on the list to be cleared under the NFL’s new protocols, which now state that a player or coach can be activated the next day if they test negative with a combination of two different tests administered on the same day.

The 5-foot-11 and 230-pound Harvey earned a roster invite in 2019 after a tryout during rookie minicamp. He opened that season on the team’s practice squad, but eventually appeared in two games before landing on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Harvey was with the Browns in training camp in 2020, but was released during the final roster cuts and did not catch on with a team.

The 6-foot-5 and 257-pound Gustin has been with the Browns since 2019. He has played in 22 games with Cleveland, making three starts, and has 41 career tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

The 6-foot-1 and 184-pound Mills spent six weeks on Cleveland’s practice squad earlier this season. He was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina Central.