Deshaun Watson, Dustin Hopkins Not On Browns’ Initial 53-Man Roster
The roster-cutdown deadline is less than an hour away, but some teams have turned in their test answers early. Here are the Browns’ moves to pare their roster to 53 players:
Released:
- K Dustin Hopkins
- WR Diontae Johnson (story)
- DT Sam Kamara
- DE Julian Okwara
- RB Trayveon Williams
Waived:
- WR Chase Cota
- WR Kaden Davis
- S Christopher Edmonds
- CB LaMareon James
- WR Kisean Johnson
- RB Ahmani Marshall
- T Kilian Zierer
Waived/injured:
- WR Cade McDonald
- RB Pierre Strong
Activated from active/PUP list:
- DT Michael Hall
Placed on IR-designated for return:
- LB Winston Reid
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
Placed on reserve/NFI list:
- WR David Bell
This is effectively a procedural move involving Watson, who has long been expected to be sidelined throughout the 2025 season due to two Achilles surgeries. The long-embattled quarterback had resumed throwing early this offseason, but he will not be activated. Long hovering off the Browns’ QB radar — as they conducted a rare four-man competition, one that has since lost Kenny Pickett (via trade) — Watson is not expected to play for the Browns again. Though, the team (via another restructure) still has the high-priced passer tied to a $35.97MM cap number.
Watson and Bell must miss at least four games apiece, while Hall will avoid such a delay. The 2024 second-round pick suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, and while he did not participate in training camp, this activation signals the Browns expect the Ohio State product to be ready at some point in the first four weeks.
A UDFA who started three games as a rookie last season, Reid will count toward Cleveland’s eight in-season injury activations. The Browns stashing the off-ball linebacker on the IR-return list will cut that total down to seven, whether Reid is activated this season or not. Placing Reid on IR now certainly points to activation plans, however.
Many of these players will likely be brought back on practice squad deals, as 16 of those spots are open to non-international players annually. Davis, a rookie UDFA, will be added to the Browns’ P-squad if he clears waivers, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes.
Hopkins, 34, has been the Browns’ kicker for the past two seasons. The team extended him on a three-year, $15.9MM deal in 2024, but the Browns are going with former UDFA Andre Szmyt at kicker. Szmyt kicked a 37-yard game-winning field goal to beat the Rams during the Browns’ preseason slate, making all three of his field goal tries.
Cutting Hopkins — who was just 18-for-27 last season — will bring a $4.91MM dead money charge (spread over two years) for the Browns. A former Syracuse kicker, Szmyt signed with the Browns in June; he has not attempted a regular-season kick yet. Hopkins’ slump led to the Browns making him a healthy scratch in Week 15, and while he returned to duty a week later, Cleveland has found a replacement.
Dolphins Work Out Greg Zuerlein, Riley Patterson, Zane Gonzalez
The Dolphins are hosting some experienced kickers as they aim to find the best fill-in option for the injured Jason Sanders. In addition to meeting with Eddy Pineiro, Miami auditioned Greg Zuerlein, Riley Patterson and Zane Gonzalez, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson.
Patterson may be the lead candidate here, with Jackson adding the Dolphins have expressed interest in adding the nomadic specialist as the fill-in option after being impressed with his workout. Patterson has been a free agent since March, having been with five teams in 2024.
The Jaguars, Commanders, Jets, Falcons and Browns rostered Patterson between July and December last year. This cross-country journey also included workouts elsewhere in between stints with teams. Despite his five-team tour, Patterson only kicked in five games last season. He was 16 of 16 on extra points and 4 of 7 on field goals. In his most recent extended work (with the 2023 Lions), Patterson — a 2023 trade acquisition from Jacksonville — was 15-for-17 on FG tries. At 25, Patterson is by far the youngest of the four options the Dolphins surveyed today.
A 13-year veteran, Zuerlein spent the past three seasons with the Jets. The former All-Pro struggled in his second Jets season, missing crucial kicks during the team’s 5-12 campaign. Zuerlein kicked in just eight games, making only 9 of 16 field goal tries. However, he was 35-for-38 in 2023 as a Jet, leading to a two-year, $8.4MM re-signing in 2024. The Jets cut bait on that contract in March, releasing the former Rams and Cowboys kicker after he finished last season on IR (with Patterson as one of the fill-in options).
Gonzalez kicked in six Commanders games last season, representing his first action since 2021. He was 5-for-7 on field goals and 19-for-19 on PATs. Gonzalez finished last season as Washington’s kicker and re-signed with the team in March, but the Commanders cut him shortly after the draft. Colts cut Matt Gay replaced Gonzalez in Washington.
Commanders To Release DE Clelin Ferrell
Re-signed in March, Clelin Ferrell will not be part of the Commanders’ initial 53-man roster. Washington is releasing the former top-five pick, veteran reporter Ben Standig tweets.
Ferrell played a key role for the team last season, starting 10 games. The 28-year-old DE will head back to free agency, getting a head-start on the non-vested veterans who must wait until 11am CT Wednesday to clear waivers.
Given a $2MM deal to stay in Washington, Ferrell received just $100K guaranteed. That represented a sign his roster spot was not secure. That said, the Commanders could circle back to the former Raiders and 49ers edge rusher after next month’s guarantee vesting date for qualified vets. Had Ferrell been on Washington’s 53-man roster in Week 1, his $2MM would have become guaranteed. It is also quite possible Ferrell is done in Washington.
Although the Commanders lost top 2024 sacker Dante Fowler (to the Cowboys) in free agency and exited their offseason program with an apparent need at D-end, they still roster Dorance Armstrong. The team added multiple DE pieces as well, with Von Miller‘s summer arrival headlining that group. The team also added Deatrich Wise and Jacob Martin in free agency.
As ESPN.com’s John Keim notes, the Commanders used Ferrell extensively during the preseason — including fourth-quarter work against the Bengals. That evaluation preceded a release, and it comes after Ferrell — who did not live up to his No. 4 overall draft slot with the Raiders — started 17 games with the 49ers in 2023. Ferrell started over Commanders trade pickup Chase Young that year, though an injury prevented him from playing in Super Bowl LVIII. Ferrell registered 3.5 sacks in both the 2023 and ’24 seasons. Last season, he posted nine QB hits and four tackles for loss as a supplementary rusher alongside Armstrong and Fowler.
Seahawks To Trade Michael Jerrell To Falcons
The Falcons lost Kaleb McGary and Storm Norton last week, and neither is expected to be available to start the season. As a result, Atlanta will add some help at tackle.
Michael Jerrell is heading from Seattle to Atlanta via trade, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The Falcons are sending a conditional 2027 seventh-rounder to the Seahawks for Jerrell, who has three years remaining on his rookie contract.
A 2024 sixth-round pick, Jerrell was part of the Seahawks’ right tackle carousel last season. The Seahawks played much of the year without starter Abraham Lucas, and George Fant landed on IR twice. Stone Forsythe also spent time on IR, creating a depth problem opposite Charles Cross. As a result, Jerrell was summoned for three rookie-year starts. He played 245 offensive snaps last season — all at right tackle. That is the place at which the Falcons are currently reeling.
Norton is expected to miss between six and eight weeks, while McGary — after being carted off the practice field last week — is a candidate to open the season on IR. The Falcons had slid former Broncos swing tackle (turned Bears and Falcons guard option) Elijah Wilkinson back outside following the injuries. Jerrell will provide another option for the NFC South team, which employs one of the NFL’s two left-handed starting QBs, amplifying the importance of the RT spot.
The Seahawks drafted Jerrell 207th overall from Division II Findlay (Ohio). The long-odds prospect did enough to make the team and stick on Seattle’s active roster throughout last season. Lucas is back for the Seahawks, after two injury-marred years, and the team both added Josh Jones in free agency and used a sixth-round pick on tackle Bryce Cabeldue. Teams have until 3pm CT today to set 53-man rosters, and the Falcons will have another option as they potentially prepare for multiple tackle IR stashes.
Panthers To Release DT Shy Tuttle
Shy Tuttle found himself on Carolina’s roster bubble this month, moving there after a two-season run as a Panthers starter. But the team made significant investments at defensive tackle this offseason.
As a result, Tuttle is out. The Panthers are releasing the veteran D-lineman, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. With Carolina adding Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown in free agency, Tuttle will hit the market at an inopportune time.
The Panthers had aimed even higher at DT this offseason, making an aggressive pursuit of Milton Williams. While Carolina bowed out after New England swooped in with a monster offer, Wharton and Brown were each in PFR’s top 50 this year. The Panthers also have Derrick Brown returning after he missed almost all of the 2024 season.
Even with Carolina overhauling its DT corps from 2024, the team refrained from releasing Tuttle in the spring. But the Panthers did give the six-year veteran a pay cut. Tuttle had been on a three-year, $19.5MM deal — one agreed to in 2023, Ejiro Evero‘s first offseason as Panthers DC — but the 2025 reduction brought a one-year, $3MM arrangement ($450K guaranteed).
The Panthers have three void years on this contract, which will lead to a notable dead money charge. The Panthers will see $3.33MM in 2025 dead money, with another $3MM-plus being set to hit the books in 2026.
Tuttle, 29, has been a starter for the past four seasons. He worked alongside David Onyemata from 2021-22 with the Saints, who bid farewell to both DTs during the 2023 offseason. Tuttle cashed in via his Panthers agreement and started 32 games for the team over the past two seasons. He batted down eight passes in that span, giving him 19 for his career. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Tuttle 108th overall at the position — a bottom-15 mark among DT regulars — as the Panthers sunk to last place defensively.
Packers To Release WR Mecole Hardman
Mecole Hardman will not begin the season on Green Bay’s roster. The veteran receiver/returner is being released, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.
Even with Christian Watson set for the reserve/PUP list, Green Bay had assembled a deep group of wide receivers after using first- and third-round picks to address the position. This left Hardman in an uncertain spot, and the former Super Bowl hero will be jettisoned months after signing with the Packers.
Hardman has been unable to stick anywhere but Kansas City. The Jets cut bait on their free agency deal months after authorizing it, sending Hardman back to the Chiefs in a pick-swap deal. That set up Hardman to play a key role down the stretch with Kansas City, and he memorably snagged Patrick Mahomes‘ game-winning offering to secure the Chiefs a second straight Super Bowl title. But minimal free agency interest followed, leading Hardman to a one-year, $1.13MM Chiefs deal in 2024.
The Packers gave Hardman a one-year, $1.5MM deal that included $150K guaranteed. Green Bay will only be responsible for that $150K in dead money via this release. Hardman, 27, will head straight to free agency. It is possible Hardman could stay in Green Bay on a practice squad deal, but that remains to be seen. The Packers have a crowded depth chart at WR – to the point Bo Melton switched positions (to cornerback).
The team returns Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. Rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams supplemented that duo in the draft, giving the Pack an array of options while Watson recovers from a Week 18 ACL tear. Watson is expected to be activated around midseason.
Hardman’s best path to a Packers role came in the return game, as the former second-round pick has an All-Pro honor (as a kick returner) on his resume. For the most part, however, Hardman’s return-game work has come on punts. He would remain an intriguing option in that capacity, at the very least, upon returning to free agency.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders Shopping CB Noah Igbinoghene
Noah Igbinoghene was among the Cowboys to follow Dan Quinn to Washington, and the former first-round pick carved out a role for himself last season. But his place on the Commanders’ 2025 roster is not assured.
The Commanders are gauging teams’ interest in Igbinoghene as a trade asset, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. This comes after Igbinoghene’s most active (by far) NFL season. The ex-Dolphins first-rounder played 818 defensive snaps.
Part of a Cowboys CB swap (for Kelvin Joseph) in 2023, Igbinoghene caught on under Quinn and then-Dallas DBs coach Joe Whitt. The duo signed a few ex-Cowboys contributors to start their Washington tenures last year, and Igbinoghene was among them. The 2020 draftee then re-signed on a one-year, $1.5MM deal this offseason.
Washington used Igbinoghene as its primary slot corner last season, giving him 582 snaps inside. That nearly doubled his usage at any defensive position in a season, as the former No. 30 overall pick’s previous career-high snap count was 287 — as a rookie in 2020. The Dolphins did not see much from Igbinoghene — the third of their three 2020 first-round picks — before trading him straight up for Joseph. Even as the 5-foot-11 CB posted a career-best usage rate, Pro Football Focus viewed him as one of the NFL’s worst corners in 2024. The advanced metrics site ranked him 115th out of 116 qualified options at CB.
The Commanders made offseason changes at corner, signing Jonathan Jones and using a second-round pick on Trey Amos. The team has Marshon Lattimore and Mike Sainristil coming back. Sainristil arrived in Washington as a slot option, while Jones made his name as a Patriots slot before finishing his New England run as more of a boundary player. While both Jones and Sainristil have NFL perimeter experience, each can man the slot as well. This would leave Igbinoghene set for a role reduction.
Patriots To Release S Marcus Epps
The safety position in New England has brought some changes, to the point Kyle Dugger could be on the move barely a year after his big-ticket extension. Another veteran piece will not stick under a new coaching staff.
New England is releasing Marcus Epps, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Epps did not catch on during Mike Vrabel‘s first offseason in charge. The former Eagles and Raiders starter, who signed with the team this offseason, will head straight to free agency as a vested veteran. Epps requested the release, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.
The Pats gave Epps a one-year, $2.03MM deal; they will eat the $500K guarantee as dead money. Epps is coming off an injury-marred 2024, having suffered an ACL tear in Week 3 of last season. Epps did not require a stay on the Pats’ active/PUP list, however, and Pelissero adds the veteran wanted a fresh start. It should be expected he will land elsewhere soon, though the former Super Bowl LVII starter has lost momentum since signing a two-year, $12MM Raiders deal in 2023.
Dugger’s move to the trade block comes as the Patriots are prepared to use Jabrill Peppers and Jaylinn Hawkins as starters at safety. While it represents an about-face for the team on Dugger, Epps only spent a few months in Foxborough. The 29-year-old veteran will look to land with a fifth NFL team.
The Vikings chose Epps in the 2019 sixth round, but he did not finish that season in Minnesota. The Eagles developed Epps into a starting safety but disbanded their Super Bowl LVII tandem (Epps, C.J. Gardner-Johnson) in 2023, seeing Gardner-Johnson join the Lions days after Epps signed with the Raiders. Epps started 17 Las Vegas games in 2023 before going down three games into his follow-up season.
Texans To Release T Trent Brown
Amid a full-scale offensive line makeover, the Texans are set to move on from a player they took a flier on this offseason. They are releasing Trent Brown, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The 10-year veteran spent the summer on Houston’s active/PUP list, having suffered a torn patellar tendon during what amounted to a brief cameo in Cincinnati. The Texans needed to either activate Brown or send him to the reserve/PUP list. Option C, however, will be used. This will be the first time a team has released Brown.
This release comes as Brown was moving toward a recovery from knee surgery, according to Wilson. But he will head back to free agency instead. The 380-plus-pound blocker having suffered a major knee injury during an age-31 season invited questions about his future, but a reunion with Nick Caserio — a Patriots exec when the team traded for Brown in 2018 — provided a lifeline. The Texans gave Brown a one-year, $2.35MM deal with $550K guaranteed. Houston will eat only the $550K in dead money. A return via the practice squad is likely in this case, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes.
Brown being nearly recovered is certainly notable, as it could lead to another chance given his history as a starter. Brown has made 96 starts, including three to open last season with the Bengals. Brown had spent the previous three years back in New England, after Las Vegas conducted an O-line makeover in 2021 that involved shedding a big-ticket Brown contract. Brown did not live up to the Raiders deal but became a regular again with the Patriots, starting at both LT and RT during his second stint.
Brown has been injury-prone throughout his career, and although the former 49ers seventh-round pick operated as the Pats’ full-time LT during their 2018 Super Bowl-winning season, he has played more than 11 games just once since. The Texans also added two more tackles — Cam Robinson, Aireontae Ersery — this offseason. Robinson has emerged as a trade candidate. With Brown out of the picture, Ersery is moving toward the starting LT job (opposite the versatile Tytus Howard) with 2024 second-rounder Blake Fisher then set to be a swing tackle.
Texans Considering LT Cam Robinson Trade
Cam Robinson signed with the Texans during free agency in a move which appeared to set him up for left tackle duties in Houston. The veteran blindside blocker could soon be on the move, however.
The Texans have discussed trading away Robinson, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The team’s new-look offensive line has been a key storyline through the summer, and second-round rookie Aireontae Ersery has enjoyed a strong camp. If Houston is comfortable with him starting at left tackle, Robinson could be deemed expendable.
Houston gave Robinson a one-year, $12MM deal in free agency. Despite checking in as one of this year’s top free agents, the eight-year left tackle starter (with Jacksonville and Minnesota), Robinson does not look to have beaten out Ersery — added a month after the veteran’s Texans commitment — for the LT job. Schefter points to Ersery being set to start in Week 1, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson also indicating that will be the case.
Wilson adds the Texans — who made a host of offseason moves along their O-line — are likely to roll out a starting quintet that includes Ersery, Laken Tomlinson, Jake Andrews, Ed Ingram and Tytus Howard up front. That would mean the Texans will have one returning starter (Howard) from last season. Howard has bounced around Houston’s O-line during his career, but after being pegged as more likely to stay at guard, a shift back to RT looks likely.
After struggling to protect C.J. Stroud during a disjointed offensive season, the Texans’ O-line received a makeover. The team traded Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green, releasing Shaq Mason as well. Ingram came over in a trade after being benched in his Vikings contract year, while Andrews — a 2023 Patriots fourth-rounder — did not play a snap last season.
Robinson, 29, has drawn trade interest, according to Wilson. Nothing is imminent, however. He would be an expensive swing tackle if Houston were to pass on a trade, and it would represent the first time the former second-round pick would have entered an NFL season as a backup. The Texans, though, also have 2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher as a swing option. Trent Brown has already been released.
Robinson has made 101 career starts, earning two Jaguars franchise tags before being signed to a three-year, $52.75MM extension. The Jags traded that contract to the Vikings last year, going with Walker Little — who signed an extension late in Trent Baalke‘s GM tenure — at LT. Robinson finished last season as the Vikes’ Christian Darrisaw replacement. He could be on the move again today.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.