Who is Marcus Santos-Silva? Texas Tech hooper signed as tight-end for Browns

Marcus Santos-Silva is the newest member of the Cleveland Browns. What is stunning is that Santos-Silva is not a football player, but rather a college basketballer.

The 24-year-old played for Virginia Commonwealth University between 2017 and 2020 and then spent a season with Texas Tech. Santos-Silva is currently signed as a tight end and is listed at 6’7” and 250 pounds.

That makes him a big target for Deshaun Watson in the passing game and given his size, he could be really useful in the running game as a blocker as well.

It was a left-field move for the Browns. But the organization may have felt that thery had a need that they did not address during the draft, given the franchise's release of Austin Hooper. This could consequently be the reason for their signing of the Texas Tech power forward.

The Browns released a statement regarding Marcus Santos-Silva:

"Santos-Silva (6-6, 261) enters his rookie season in 2022, following a two-year basketball career at Texas Tech (2020-22). Santos-Silva completed his career with 1,244 points, 957 rebounds and 61 blocked shots."

The statement added:

"He earned All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2022, accruing 175 points, 29 blocked shots and 151 rebounds. The Taunton, Mass. native originally transferred to Texas Tech after three years (2017-20) at VCU."

Santos-Silva played football from the age of seven until his freshman year before focusing on basketball. The upcoming mini and training camps will be vital for the now tight end to make his mark.

It will be a steep learning curve for the former Texas Tech power forward. But clearly the Browns see some talent in Santos-Silva and believe that he can make a difference for the franchise on the offensive side of the ball.

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Marcus Santos-Silva joins Baker Mayfield at the Browns

Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns

The signing of Marcus Santos-Silva seems like a good move at this stage. However, there is still one transaction that Cleveland hasn't been able to complete: moving on Baker Mayfield.

The 27-year-old is still on the roster and there are no signs that he will be moving on anytime soon. Some believed a trade could have been facilitated during the draft, but that did not eventuate.

Just where Mayfield's future is in 2022 remains a mystery, but at least the organization has a new tight end for Watson to throw to.