The danger of having a player on the practice squad is that he can leave if a better opportunity comes along.
That's what happened to the Cleveland Browns and their tight end depth.
Brendan Bates has opted out of his contract, according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi.
"Signals he'll be signing to another team's active roster," Oyefusi wrote on X.
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The Browns don't need Bates right now, but you never know when the depth might matter.
Cleveland has been using a lot of two tight end sets in the early going with David Njoku and rookie Harold Fannin Jr.
The Browns also have Blake Whiteheart on their active roster.
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Bates is an Ohio kid, originally from Cincinnati and Archbishop Moeller High School. He was undrafted out of Kentucky a few years ago.
The big tight end has appeared in seven total NFL games, five with the Jets and two with the Browns. He has never caught a pass.
At 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, Bates is a solid blocker and can be good depth elsewhere.
It'll be interesting to see where he signs.
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