Eagles WR Cleveland Making Strong Roster Bid: ‘A Blessing!’

The Browns probably saw enough of a Philadelphia Eagles receiver whose surname is the same as the city they play in. That’s Tyrie Cleveland.

The Cleveland Browns were in town earlier in the week for a pair of joint practices leading up to Thursday night’s preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field (7:30 p.m.), and Cleveland got open several times against the Browns, whether it was in one-on-one, seven-on-seven, or 11-on-11 team drills.

Cleveland couldn’t guard Cleveland when the second-teamers lined up in a two-minute drill that started at the 25 on Tuesday. He got open for a touchdown when Marcus Mariota found him in the end zone's back corner. 

Cleveland then made a nice play in catching the two-point conversion pass from Mariota, who rolled right on a designed play and found Cleveland flying across the middle of the end zone.

“They were in press coverage, and I had a ‘go ball,’ so Marcus, every time we get that look, we try to make a play,” said Cleveland about the touchdown. “Fortunately, I was making a play for the team.”

Cleveland also made himself at home in Baltimore against the Ravens on Saturday night. He was the game’s leading receiver with five catches for 68 yards while playing a team-high 64 snaps.

“I set a goal for myself, a Muhammed Ali quote: ‘Don’t count today, make the days count,’” he said. “So, every day, I try to make the days count, getting better every day, working on my weaknesses. And continue to show up and make plays.”

Cleveland will certainly be one to watch on Thursday night as his bid to make the roster continues, and he is getting plenty of opportunity with Quez Watkins and Britain Covey both nursing hamstring injuries that cost them reps in the preseason opener and in the two days of work against the Browns.

Cleveland joined the Eagles earlier this year just in time for their playoff run after claiming him from the Denver Broncos, who selected him out of Florida in the seventh round of the 2020 draft. He arrived on Jan. 17, so he had a front-row seat for playoff wins over the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers and the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Coming from a losing team, then all of the sudden, you wake up the next day and you’re on a team that’s going to the playoffs, and then we get to the Super Bowl,” he said, “So, it was a blessing. I’m thankful.”

Cleveland was up and down on the Broncos’ practice squad, playing in 23 games over three seasons and making eight catches for 91 yards. The bulk of his work came on special teams, something that could help him find a home in Philly.

Something else that could help is his familiarity with offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and vice versa since the two worked together when Cleveland was a receiver at Florida when Johnson was his OC there.

“The only thing I can do is go out there and control what I can control,” he said about potentially making the roster. “Whatever they do in the front office, that’s on them. I just give myself a chance by just coming out here, playing hard, playing together.

“(The competition) is great. You need that in a room. It brings out the best in you. Everyone is competing with you. Everyone is helping each other. There’s not (any) backstabbing. Everyone’s trying to get better. Everyone’s trying to get better. There’s a good vibe in the room.”

Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.

Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.