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Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC North

August 27th, 2025 at 5:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers moves are noted below.

Baltimore Ravens

Signed to practice squad:

Cincinnati Bengals

Signed to practice squad:

Reverted to IR:

Cleveland Browns

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed to practice squad:

Browns To Sign WR Malachi Corley, G Cole Strange

August 27th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Waived by the Jets after one season, Malachi Corley went unclaimed today. But the 2024 third-round pick will land elsewhere, joining the Browns (per veteran reporter Jordan Schultz).

This practice squad agreement comes about after Corley had multiple suitors to choose from, per Schultz. He will head to Cleveland in the hopes of rebuilding his value following a poor rookie campaign. The Jets’ new regime elected to move on despite depth questions at the WR position.

Corley managed just three scoreless receptions last year. The Western Kentucky product was seen as a project given his skillset, but his efforts to develop into an NFL regular will take place in a new home. It will be interesting to see if Corley finds himself amongst the Browns’ early taxi squad elevations or makes his way onto the active roster in September.

Cleveland’s receiver room will once again be led by Jerry Jeudy in 2025. The former Broncos first-rounder set a new career high in catches (90) and yards (1,229) during his first Browns campaign, and he will be relied on to duplicate that production as the team sorts out its quarterback situation over the course of the year. The likes of Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash and undrafted rookie Isaiah Bond are also in place on the depth chart.

Corley will be joined on the Browns’ taxi squad by guard Cole Strange. The latter was waived by the Patriots yesterday, marking an unceremonious end to his time in New England. Strange is heading to Cleveland with the expectation of also being elevated to the active roster at some point, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. A backup gig along the interior could be in store by the fall.

Strange’s entry to the NFL was marked by his surprising status as a first-round pick. The Chattanooga product was hampered by injuries, and he was limited to 13 appearances across the past two seasons. When on the field, Strange was part of a Pats O-line which struggled mightily in 2024. With plenty of changes taking place up front under head coach Mike Vrabel, he found himself amongst the team’s roster cuts yesterday.

Now, Strange will join Corley in seeking to take advantage of a change of scenery. At the ages of 27 and 23, respectively, both players could wind up offering upside to the Browns’ offense in time.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

2025 NFL Waiver Order

August 27th, 2025 at 9:57am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Many of the players cut Tuesday were subject to waivers, giving teams a chance to pick them up (along with the rest of their contract). Teams can claim as many players as they want before the next team gets their remaining targets.

It’s also worth noting that relatively few players are claimed off waivers during final roster cuts each year. Waiver claims will be processed at 11am CT in the following order (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). In reverse order of the 2024 NFL standings, here is how the waiver priority sits:

  1. Titans
  2. Browns
  3. Giants
  4. Patriots
  5. Jaguars
  6. Raiders
  7. Jets
  8. Panthers
  9. Saints
  10. Bears
  11. 49ers
  12. Cowboys
  13. Dolphins
  14. Colts
  15. Falcons
  16. Cardinals
  17. Bengals
  18. Seahawks
  19. Buccaneers
  20. Broncos
  21. Steelers
  22. Chargers
  23. Packers
  24. Vikings
  25. Texans
  26. Rams
  27. Ravens
  28. Lions
  29. Commanders
  30. Bills
  31. Chiefs
  32. Eagles

Browns Name Dillon Gabriel Backup QB

August 26th, 2025 at 11:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns’ QB situation has become much clearer in the coming days. Along with Joe Flacco being set to operate as the starter, the pecking order behind him has now been set.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Tuesday (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com) Dillon Gabriel will serve as the team’s backup quarterback. That news means fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders will work as QB3. Today’s update comes as no surprise given how training camp has played out.

Sanders has found himself last on the depth chart throughout the summer, whereas Gabriel has seen some time with the starting offense when healthy. Flacco has long been viewed as the top option, though, and the Browns’ logjam was cleared yesterday with the Kenny Pickett trade. Deshaun Watson, meanwhile, will start the campaign on the reserve/PUP list as expected. That leaves Gabriel and Sanders in place as backup and third-stringer.

“I think you factor in everything, truly,” Stefanski said when speaking to the media about the decision (video link). “We look at it from a bunch of different angles. So, certainly we made the decision and feel comfortable with Dillon serving in that role. It’s such an all-encompassing evaluation… We also saw a lot of them out here in practice and how they are at their craft. [Gabriel is] certainly somebody that we think is getting better and better.”

During his time in college, Gabriel drew praise for his accuracy. The UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon product was even the subject of trade talk one day after he was drafted, with suitors viewing him as a high-floor backup in the NFL. His chance to meet expectations in that role will present itself right away.

Sanders, meanwhile, will find himself on the active roster but he will not need to be on Cleveland’s gameday squad to be able to dress thanks to the current emergency QB rules. Multiple injuries will be required for him to see game action in the regular season.

Browns To Release WR Diontae Johnson

August 26th, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Diontae Johnson‘s efforts to find a stable NFL home will likely not include time with the Browns. The veteran wideout is being released today, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero report.

The wide receiver’s tumultuous 2024 included a bevy of transactions and multiple aims to be traded during that transaction whirlwind — one that crushed his free agency value. Johnson was traded twice and cut twice last year, leading to a veteran-minimum Browns deal. Failing to make Cleveland’s 53-man roster represents another blow to a player who entered last season as a career-long starter.

No other team made Johnson an offer this offseason; the Browns will not take on any dead money from this release as a result of the vet-minimum deal including no guarantees. The team did not add any other veteran receivers of note, but it will still move on from a former 1,000-yard player who had excelled for the Steelers over an extended stretch.

The Steelers and Panthers traded Johnson last year; he had grown unhappy with both situations. But Johnson then drew a team-imposed suspension in Baltimore, having refused to reenter a late-season game with the Ravens — who did not give the effective route runner a regular role. Johnson then grew unhappy with his Texans role, following a subsequent waiver claim. The Ravens then claimed him again for procedural purposes, wrapping a transaction-crazed (but largely inconsequential, production-wise) year for the six-year veteran.

Cleveland has Cedric Tillman positioned as Jerry Jeudy‘s top complementary option, with 2024 fifth-rounder Jamari Thrash in the mix as well. The Browns also changed their receiver situation this month, signing Texas product Isaiah Bond after the rookie was not indicted on sexual assault charges. Johnson, 29, will pass straight to free agency as a vested veteran.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Deshaun Watson, Dustin Hopkins Not On Browns’ Initial 53-Man Roster

August 26th, 2025 at 2:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

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:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Activated from active/PUP list:

Placed on IR-designated for return:

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Placed on reserve/NFI list:

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.

Rams To Trade T KT Leveston To Browns

August 26th, 2025 at 8:16am CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday’s first NFL trade will see offensive line depth change hands. The Rams are sending tackle KT Leveston to the Browns for a 2028 seventh-round pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Dealing away selections three years into the future is certainly rare in the NFL, especially in the case of a low-level trade such as this one. Cleveland has restocked on draft capital this offseason, though, with the move down the first-rounder order yielding an additional first from the Jaguars in 2026. Yesterday’s Kenny Pickett swap also added to the team’s collection for next spring.

Leveston entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick of the Rams last season. He did not see any regular season game action as a rookie while dealing with an injury. Los Angeles opened his practice window in November, but one month later he reverted to injured reserve without being activated. Now healthy, the 25-year-old will aim to provide Cleveland with depth up front.

The Browns’ offensive tackle position has been in flux this offseason, with Jedrick Wills no longer in the fold. The former first-rounder is set to miss most or all of the coming season while recovering from a knee injury. Jack Conklin is still in place for Cleveland, a team which added Cornelius Lucas in free agency. The likes of Germain Ifedi, Geron Christian and Hakeem Adeniji departed this spring, however, so Leveston will look to compensate (in part) for their absences.

The Rams will create $840K in cap space with this move, while the Browns will take on the remaining three years of Leveston’s rookie contract. The Kansas State product managing to carve out a swing tackle role or another backup gig along the offensive line could allow for him to have an extended stay in Cleveland.

Raiders Acquire Kenny Pickett From Browns

August 25th, 2025 at 11:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders have landed on a new backup for Geno Smith. The team is acquiring Kenny Pickett from the Browns, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Cleveland will be receiving a 2026 fifth-round pick in return, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

This is a natural move for both organizations. The Raiders have been hunting for a new backup quarterback since Aidan O’Connell suffered a fracture wrist that will sideline him for six to eight weeks. Meanwhile, the Browns were looking to clear up their QB logjam, despite what GM Andrew Berry may have signaled yesterday.

The Raiders’ only other option behind Smith was rookie sixth-round pick Cam Miller, so it seemed like only a matter of time before Las Vegas landed a veteran signal caller. In comes Pickett, who has pivoted to the backup phase of his career. A former first-round pick, the Pittsburgh product failed to live up to his draft billing with the Steelers. He went 14-10 in his 24 starts with the organization but only tossed 13 touchdowns vs. 13 interceptions. When the Steelers revamped their QB depth chart last offseason, Pickett requested a trade and was promptly sent to Philly to be Jalen Hurts‘ backup.

Pickett ended up getting into five games for his new squad, completing 25 of his 42 pass attempts for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He earned a win in his lone start for the Eagles, a blowout Week 17 victory over the Cowboys. After the season, he was dealt to Cleveland for a fifth-round pick and QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

The Browns depth chart quickly became crowded as they navigated another lost season from Deshaun Watson. While it was once believed that Pickett could be in the driver’s seat to be Cleveland’s new QB1, Joe Flacco ended up winning the QB battle. Still, the team had too much notable depth at the position as the roster deadline approached. With this trade, the Browns can now roll into the season with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders as the primary backups.

If you’re keeping count at home, this represents the third trade of Pickett’s four-year career. As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes, this accomplishment has only been matched by one other player in NFL history: Sam Howell, who reached the milestone yesterday.

Browns Expected To Release DeAndre Carter

August 25th, 2025 at 8:24pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns are moving on from an offseason free agent acquisition. According to Jordan Schultz, Cleveland is expected to release veteran DeAndre Carter.

Back in March, the Browns handed the 32-year-old a one-year, $800K deal. Carter was expected to have a role in Cleveland as a back-of-the-depth-chart wideout and primary returner. Instead, the NFL journeyman will be looking to join yet another team.

The Browns represented the 10th team of Carter’s NFL career (not including multiple stints with the Raiders and Bears). The Sacramento State product’s best offensive season actually came relatively recently, when he hauled in 46 catches for 538 yards and three touchdowns for the Chargers. After getting into 17 games for the Raiders in 2023, Carter spent the 2024 campaign in Chicago. There, he hauled in nine catches in 13 games.

Carter has really made a name for himself on special teams, where he’s tallied 133 career kick returns and 149 career punt returns. He finished this past season with a career-high 31.9 yards-per-return mark, and he also managed to return the longest punt return (38 yards) since his sophomore season. Considering his special teams prowess, it shouldn’t take long for the veteran to find another gig.

For Cleveland, this could be a sign that UDFA Gage Larvadain has made the team, per Tony Grossi. The receiver finished the preseason with nine catches for 94 yards and one touchdown, and he also returned 10 punts.

Andrew Berry Confirms Browns Will Keep Four QBs

August 24th, 2025 at 10:51pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Browns general manager Andrew Berry confirmed that all four of the team’s quarterbacks – veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders – would make the 53-man roster, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.

Berry said earlier this summer that the team would consider keeping four quarterbacks and now seems poised to follow through. On Saturday, he called it “not much of a decision.”

“We have a room that we like all the guys in there,” said Berry. “We don’t really see that as a problem. We more see it as an opportunity.”

Cleveland’s quarterback situation has been the subject of intense scrutiny, perhaps more than any other in the league. The two veterans were long seen as the likeliest starters, with Flacco winning the job as Pickett dealt with a hamstring injury throughout training camp. Pickett is still expected to be ready to backup Flacco in Week 1, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. Gabriel and Sanders will provide depth, likely in that order, though at least one will be inactive on gamedays.

The focus on The Browns’ 2025 quarterback room comes in spite of signals that the team is planning to prioritize the position in next year’s draft. One such indicator was the acquisition of an extra 2026 first-round pick via the Travis Hunter trade with the Jaguars. Neither Flacco nor Pickett are long-term propositions under center, and the two rookies may not get a chance to establish themselves as future starters this year.

Deshaun Watson is unlikely to regain a starting role in Cleveland, but he’ll still cover more than a quarter of the team’s cap in 2026, per OverTheCap. That could keep the Browns from chasing a veteran in free agency and force them to bet on one of their second-year passers or draft one of the top college quarterback prospects next spring.

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