NFL notebook: Bryant visits with Browns

Free agent wide receiver Dez Bryant visited the Cleveland Browns on Thursday. Bryant arrived at the team's facility accompanied by his agent, Kim Miale, cleveland.com reported, citing a league source. The three-time Pro Bowl selection has been without a team since the Dallas Cowboys released him in mid-April in a salary dispute. Bryant told the team's in-house broadcasting team that he likes the city and thought he would look good wearing the orange uniform of the Browns -- the same color he wore collegiately at Oklahoma State. "We're just trying to work some things out," Bryant told team broadcaster Nathan Zegura. Wideout Jarvis Landry and quarterback Tyrod Taylor are proponents of the team signing Bryant, and coach Hue Jackson said he is receptive to bringing in the three-time Pro Bowl selection. --Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is out of concussion protocol, according to a published report. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Roethlisberger is fine, two days removed from exiting practice after a collision with Marcus Gilbert as the offensive tackle was blocking linebacker Keion Adams. Roethlisberger was laying on his stomach with his right hand on the back of his head for several minutes while a team trainer attended to him. The six-time Pro Bowl selection was able to walk off the field on his own, briefly stopping to talk to team officials, including general manager Kevin Colbert. The 36-year-old Roethlisberger traveled with the Steelers for Thursday's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. The quarterback wasn't scheduled to play against the Packers even before the hit in practice. --Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker had to exit practice after suffering an undisclosed injury, multiple media outlets reported. Walker was hurt after making a catch during joint workouts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He limped off the field while talking with team trainers. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters that Walker was being evaluated for the injury, but added that he may not provide an update as to the ailment, which observers speculated was to his foot or toe. The 34-year-old Walker, who is entering his 13th NFL season, signed a two-year contract extension worth $17 million last month. In 2017, Walker earned Pro Bowl honors for the third consecutive season after hauling in a team-high 74 receptions for 807 yards and three touchdowns. --Denver Broncos president of football operations John Elway continues to leave the door open to bringing in a quarterback to compete for the backup job. Elway, though, shut the door on the idea of former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick coming to the Mile High City. "I said this a while ago: Colin had his chance to be here. We offered him a contract. He didn't take it," said Elway, per the team's official website. "As I said in my deposition -- and I don't know if I'm legally able to say this -- he's had his chance to be here. He passed it." The legal reference related to Kaerpernick's collusion grievance against the NFL. Kaepernick filed the grievance under the collective bargaining agreement against the NFL in October, accusing all 32 owners of colluding against signing him to an NFL contract. --Rookie Sam Darnold will get the start for the New York Jets in their second preseason game at the Washington Redskins on Thursday night. Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft, will look to build on an impressive professional debut, when he finished 13 of 18 for 96 yards and a touchdown in a 17-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons last week. Jets coach Todd Bowles acknowledged after the preseason opener that he faces a "tough decision" on who will be the starter for Week 1. Veteran Josh McCown entered training camp atop the depth chart with Teddy Bridgewater and Darnold behind him. The New York Daily News reported that team management wants to see how Darnold holds up while facing Washington's first-team offense. Darnold was the third Jets quarterback to take the field against the Falcons. --Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa remained away from practice and will sit out the team's second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. Starting quarterback Philip Rivers will see his first preseason action against the Seahawks, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters, per the Los Angeles Daily News. Bosa has been sidelined since suffering a left foot injury during practice on Aug. 7. At the time, the injury was described as "nothing serious." A first-round pick out of Ohio State (No. 3 overall) in the 2016 draft, Bosa was named to the Pro Bowl in 2017 after racking up a team-leading 12.5 sacks while starting all 16 games. --Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin ran sprints during individual drills, multiple media outlets reported. Baldwin has been sidelined since the end of last month with a knee injury that has been an issue since the start of training camp. The Athletic reported that Baldwin was running sprints by himself Thursday, while station KIRO-7 observed that Seattle's leading receiver "looks sharp" while going through individual drills. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has maintained that he expects Baldwin to be on the field for the regular-season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 9. --Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green isn't letting his 30th birthday slow him down. Green, who celebrated the milestone on July 31, is at least five years older than any other wide receiver on the Bengals' roster. Despite being the elder statesman of the group, Green insists he has more in the tank. "I ain't an old man," Green told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I've always got juice. I've had it for a long time. I'm not going anywhere any time soon. ... I feel good. I'm one of the oldest guys, but I run the most of anybody in practice and I feel great. I put a lot into my body on and off the field that really gets me ready for the next day." Green made 75 catches for 1,078 yards with eight touchdowns last season, resulting in his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl selection. The Bengals, however, were the worst team in the league in 2017 in regard to yards per game. --New Orleans Saints defensive end Alex Okafor was diagnosed with a sprained ankle and a bone bruise on his knee after undergoing an MRI, multiple media outlets reported. Per reports, Okafor is considered week-to-week after sustaining the injury during practice on Wednesday. He was able to limp off the field under his own power, per reports. Okafor is attempting to return from a torn Achilles tendon sustained in the fourth quarter of a 34-31 overtime win against the Washington Redskins in Week 11 of the 2017 regular season, ending what was a promising campaign. The 27-year-old Okafor recorded 43 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles in 10 games as the starter opposite All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan. --Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick opted to play it safe after receiving a number of stingers in practice over the last few days. Frederick contacted neck and spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles to make sure he was not dealing with a more severe injury. "Specifically, because stingers deal with your neck, and that's something I think is a pretty important part of your body," the four-time Pro Bowl center said, per ESPN. "So, I just made sure I was safe for the long term." Frederick said Watkins confirmed there were no additional issues and that rest likely is the best medicine at the moment. --Dion Lewis is looking to make noise in Music City while playing for the Tennessee Titans, but the running back appeared to be left with a sour tune after departing from the New England Patriots. Lewis is coming off a career-best 896-yard rushing season to go along with 32 receptions for 214 yards and nine total touchdowns in 2017 with the Patriots. The 5-foot-8 Lewis was allowed to walk by New England before signing a four-year, $20 million contract with the Titans. "I'm happy with the decision, and this is the decision I would've made even if they did offer," Lewis told the Boston Globe. "If they wanted me, they could've had me. "But obviously, they didn't want me, they didn't think I was good enough to be there. I just had to move on and do what's best for me." --Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan said he feels that the recent actions of teammate Roquan Smith will lead to more holdouts in the future. Smith, who was the eighth overall pick of the 2018 draft, ended his 29-day holdout earlier this week when he signed his rookie contract with the Bears. The former Georgia star received a four-year, $18.4 million contract with $11.5 million guaranteed. Per multiple media outlets, Smith was able to negotiate into his contract that the Bears can only void his future guarantees for an on-field suspension of three or more games and for a post-play suspension of two or more contests. "I'm proud, because he made a decision and stuck with it," Trevathan said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "I'm more proud ... it's going to lead to more people doing that." --The wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford didn't take too kindly to the comments of Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a recent interview with GQ. Ramsey didn't hold back in the monthly men's magazine when discussing several NFL quarterbacks, namely referring to Buffalo Bills rookie Josh Allen as "trash" and Atlanta Falcons star Matt Ryan as "overrated." Stafford appeared to get off easy by the 23-year-old Ramsey, who labeled the Lions quarterback as "straight," and while not "the best quarterback out there ... he do what he gotta do." Stafford's wife, Kelly, took issue with GQ as to why it interviewed Ramsey in the first place. "Can someone tell me why @GQ is interviewing @jalenramsey?" she wrote on Instagram. "I understand ESPN ... but not GQ ... there is nothing 'GQ' about him. Just seems like a complete waste of time and space." --Free-agent wide receiver Brittan Golden learned of a small tumor in his mouth during a recent physical for the New York Giants. Golden had worked out for a few teams this offseason after spending the previous five years with the Arizona Cardinals. Although he did not latch on with the Giants, he was alerted to a health situation that took on greater importance than just employment. "I was just in New York as I had a work out for the Giants," the 30-year-old Golden told FOX Sports 910 in Phoenix on Wednesday. "And they probably had the most extensive physical that I've ever been through in my life, which is a good thing. ... The workout went well, but their doctor found a small tumor in my mouth." Per Golden, the Giants' medical staff set up the Texas native with doctors in Houston to have a biopsy. Golden received good news upon learning of the tumor is benign. He will undergo surgery and is expected to be out four to six weeks. --The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed defensive tackle Drew Iddings, the team announced. In a corresponding roster move, the Buccaneers waived defensive tackle Stevie Tu'ikolovatu with an injury designation. Iddings has never appeared in an NFL game since he signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in May 2016. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Iddings also has been on the rosters of the New Orleans Saints and Carolina, spending the 2017 season on injured reserve with the Panthers. --Minnesota Vikings linebacker Antwione Williams pleaded guilty to reckless driving last month. Williams was arrested in May and charged with suspicion of drunken driving, careless driving and speeding, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, which learned of the arrest Thursday. The DWI and speeding charges were dropped when Williams pleaded guilty to the reckless driving charge on July 26, the newspaper reported. --The Chicago Bears signed long snapper Tanner Carew and released linebacker Andrew Trumbetti, the team announced. Carew, who spent the previous four seasons at Oregon, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks before he was released last month. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Carew is the second long-snapper signed by Chicago during the offseason.