Waffling on Charles cut

It seemed at first as though it was just another series of moves by the Browns designed to strengthen the roster. Just another agate line or two in the list of National Football League transactions.

Seemed innocuous. During training camp, you see it all the time as teams constantly juggle rosters getting ready for the regular season. Normal activity.

Or was it?

The Browns over the weekend surprisingly cut hybrid tight end/fullback Orson Charles and signed tight end Rico Gathers and fullback Joe Kerridge.

Right now, the newest Browns are probably just a couple of names on the roster, both of whom most likely will find themselves unemployed when the club trims that roster at cutdown time. But the moves sparked a curious thought or two.

Charles was listed as a tight end, but lined up primarily as a fullback last season playing 11 games, starting two. He was a factor in the short run game. An ankle injury cut his season short after 13 games.

When inserted into the game, he generally lined up behind the quarterback as a blocker for whoever was at running back. The opposition knew it was invariably going to be a run.

The coaching staff, whether it was the Hue Jackson/Todd Haley tandem during the first half of the season or interim offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, pretty much tipped its hand when Charles was in the game. He compiled 173 snaps on offense in those 13 games. He was also valuable on special teams, logging 265 plays.

So why after bringing him back this season did the Browns say adios to Charles with three weeks left in training camp?

And then it hit me. The words uttered last week by Kitchens in response to the inside information former offensive line coach Bob Wylie divulged on a national radio network.

The new head coach went off on what he determined were leaks. “The days of inside information and the days of unnamed sources and stuff like that have ended,” he declared. “So you’re not going to get any information like that ever (from) anybody.

“And if I see it, they’re fired. Immediately. That’s the way we’re running this organization.”

That’s it. Charles must have been fired for leaking at worst, or consorting with the enemy at best. Why else is he no longer a member of the team? Now it makes sense. Or does it? My conspiracy theory gene had kicked in.

But then I also thought this was nothing more than a routine massaging of the roster and probably blowing Kitchens’ words out of proportion. And yet, they do make one (yours truly) wonder.

That stern warning by Kitchens most likely had nothing to do with Charles’ release. He probably meant those words for just about everybody in the organization except the players.

But why not the players? They talk. They leak. Many members of the media often cozy up to players and develop a trusting relationship in an effort to glean information that might otherwise be considered confidential.

Those with suspicious minds can’t help but conflate the two incidents: Kitchens’ warning shot and the release of a player who some believed was going to play an important role in this season’s offense.

Sort of makes one (again, yours truly) wonder and go hmmmmm.