The Cleveland Browns are a 3-1 football team coming out of Week 4, and a Week 5 matchup with the New York Jets is next on the schedule. Even a few weeks into the season, roster movement never stops in the NFL, and Cleveland is already looking at ways to shore up its depth chart.

The Browns are dealing with a knee injury to wide receiver Tylan Wallace, who did not play. With that in mind, Cleveland is showing signs of reuniting with a familiar face who has spent time with the team before.

Browns work out player with a past in cleveland 

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Browns are working out wide receiver and punt returner James Proche early this week ahead of the game against New York.

Proche spent the 2023-24 seasons with Cleveland, mostly as a return man. He’s primarily a punt returner, but he does have some experience returning kicks as well.

In 2023 with the Browns, Proche returned 22 punts for 197 yards, which works out to a 9-yard average. He followed that up in 2024 by returning 19 punts for a 9.1-yard average. Those numbers won’t jump off the page, but Proche gave Cleveland a steady presence in the return game during his two seasons with the team.

From there, Proche landed with the Tennessee Titans in 2025. He played in nine games and caught six passes for 65 yards. Additionally, it’s notable that he spent the first three seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens before he joined the Browns in 2023.

Cleveland could be adding return and receiver depth

This looks like a clear move for the Browns to add return depth. With Wallace potentially set to miss more than one game, bringing Proche back comes off as a move Cleveland would make in that regard.

Keeping the special teams unit steady is going to be key for a team that has gotten off to a 3-1 start. Losing a contributor in the middle of the season can throw off the rhythm in the return game, and a player with Proche’s background could slide in without a problem. 

On the flip side, this could just be the Browns bringing in more wide receiver depth. If that’s the case, a roster spot would need to open up somewhere. A move like that could come at the cost of a player such as Malachi Corley, for example.

Either way, Cleveland is showing interest in reuniting with a former player of its own. Proche is 30 years old and has six previous years of NFL experience under his belt. He has also seen the AFC North from both the Baltimore and Cleveland sides, which gives him a level of familiarity with the division that a younger option wouldn’t bring.

Whether the workout turns into a signing before the Browns take on the Jets remains to be seen. The coming days will show how Cleveland plans to handle its receiver room and return duties with Wallace sidelined for now.