When the Browns get to training camp at the end of July, the roster math is going to be tight. Cleveland has turned over plenty of names over the past two seasons, but the reality is that a lot of the new blood already came in through the draft, which leaves only a few real openings for the players hanging on the edge.
One of the clearest cases is Zak Zinter. Cleveland took him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the idea that he might eventually step in for Wyatt Teller or Joel Bitonio, but that plan no longer looks like the path for him.
The Browns have added Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins at guard and re-signed Teven Jenkins, so Zinter is going to be buried on the depth chart when camp opens. Even so, because he’s still just entering his third NFL season, Cleveland is likely to give him one more shot before making a final call.
The quarterback room is another spot where the numbers are working against someone, and that someone looks like Dillon Gabriel. When the Browns drafted Gabriel in the 2025 NFL Draft, it seemed tied to Kevin Stefanski’s approach.
With Stefanski now gone, Gabriel’s place in Cleveland feels shaky. The Browns already have Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders in the mix for the starting job, and they also took Arkansas backup Taylen Green in the sixth round in April.
Teams usually don’t carry four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and Gabriel appears to be the one left standing outside the group.
Luke Wypler has a better argument to stick. He started five games at center last season after Ethan Pocic tore his Achilles, and that kind of experience matters.
Wypler also dealt with an injury at the end of the season, though there hasn’t been much information about it. Cleveland could keep him around either as a starter or as a backup for Elgton Jenkins if Jenkins ends up at center.
With only one year left on his contract, there’s also a practical case for keeping Wypler in the building for another season. The Browns drafted Alabama center Parker Brailsford on Day 3 this year, but he may need time to adjust before he’s ready for NFL snaps.
Jerome Corley also has a path, even if his numbers don’t scream must-keep. After the Jets released him following training camp last year, he carved out a useful role in Cleveland.
Kevin Stefanski moved him around, using him in the backfield and as a pass-catching option. Corley finished with 79 receiving yards and 127 rushing yards in 13 games, which won’t turn heads, but he looks like the kind of gadget player Todd Monken would want on hand.
Then there’s Javion Leveston, whose roster case looks the weakest of the bunch. Cleveland traded for him early last season because the offensive line needed help in a hurry.
He competed hard and held his own, but the Browns have since loaded up on more linemen, including first-round pick Spencer Fano, third-round pick Austin Barber, and Tytus Howard in a trade with the Houston Texans. Dawand Jones is also in the mix after starting a few games at left tackle last season before getting hurt.
With that much competition, there just doesn’t appear to be much room left for Leveston.
In Other News...
Browns Center Plan Looks Even Worse After Familiar Veteran's Next Move
Ethan Pocics next stop is a reminder of how quickly the center market can shift, and how much it can reshape a teams plans. After his recovery from an Achilles injury, the veteran is stepping into a situation in Baltimore where a starting job is open and experience matters, giving the Ravens a proven option at a position that suddenly needs one.
For Cleveland, the timing only adds to the uncertainty around its own interior line. The Browns are leaning toward Elgton Jenkins at center while keeping the door open for rookie Parker Brailsford to compete in camp, and if Jenkins ends up there, the ripple effect could reach right guard as well. Pocic moving on leaves another familiar name off the board, and another reminder that the Browns still have work to do before their line feels settled. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Quarterback Battle Just Took A Turn Before Training Camp
Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders spent part of the Browns offseason preparing side by side in Florida, a small but notable sign of how Clevelands quarterback room is approaching the summer. The workout included teammates catching passes as the group continued building timing ahead of training camp, and the scene fit the message both quarterbacks have tried to project all along: this is a competition, but not a fractured one.
Sanders has been especially direct about keeping the focus on the team rather than on any one player, stressing that the work is being done together. For the Browns, that matters because the next few weeks will bring the real pressure of camp and the eventual decision on who opens the season as the starter, a call that will shape the tone of the entire quarterback battle. [Read more 🡒]
Browns WR Battle Is Heating Up Faster Than Anyone Expected
The Browns have quietly turned a thin-looking receiver room into one of the more interesting competitions on the roster, with Tylan Wallace, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston all added in a way that has people around the team paying close attention. The depth chart discussion has already started to sound less like a formality and more like a true race, especially with analysts Steve Smith and James Palmer pointing to several players who are separating themselves in spring work.
Boston has been the name drawing the loudest buzz after his spring showing, and the early read is that he is making himself hard to ignore. Wallace is also being viewed as a useful fit in the room, while Concepcions versatility has added another layer to the mix, giving Cleveland a group that suddenly looks deeper and more competitive than expected as the summer gets closer. [Read more 🡒]