Taylen Green didn’t get the phone call every rookie waits for. He didn’t get the text, either. Instead, the Browns quarterback found out he had made the initial 53-man roster the same way everybody else did: by seeing a graphic posted by Cleveland’s social media team.
That was the finish to a strange, uncertain few days for the sixth-round rookie, who said he had no real read on where he stood as the Browns debated whether to keep three or four quarterbacks.
“It’s definitely a blessing. It’s a dream come true.
I just woke up, went to church, then was enjoying my day off. I didn’t get a call or a text to come in, so I was just excited and saw the post.
I had a lot of family and friends text me and stuff, and it was exciting for me.
“Look, this is my first time, so I don’t know,” he added. “I hope that’s good news.”
Green’s place on the roster is real, but it may also be temporary. Dillon Gabriel’s back injury changed the picture at just the right moment for Green, who now sits as Cleveland’s No. 3 quarterback behind Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders for at least the opening stretch of the season.
Gabriel was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return when the Browns set their initial 53-man roster on Sunday. Under league rules, that means he has to miss a minimum of four regular-season games and cannot practice with the team during that span.
For now, Green is expected to work as the emergency QB3 on game days while picking up scout-team reps during the week. The next five weeks or so could matter a lot in determining what happens when Gabriel becomes eligible to return in October. If Watson and Sanders are still healthy and holding roster spots, Green’s development - especially as a passer - could become the deciding factor.
The hard part for Green has been getting enough chances to show what he can do. He took every rep at rookie minicamp in May, but after that, his practice opportunities were limited as head coach Todd Monken managed the Watson-Sanders competition.
By the time the Browns reached their preseason finale against the Patriots on Aug. 27, Gabriel was clearly ahead of Green on the depth chart.
Green still made the most of the moment. He showed he could handle the pace, get in and out of the huddle, and operate a more pro-style offense than the one he ran at Arkansas.
His best moments, though, came when he took off running. Scrambling is Green’s calling card, and it was on display again.
But athleticism alone won’t lock down an NFL job. He still has to prove he can stay composed in the pocket, process the defense, move through his reads, and fit the ball into tight spaces.
The numbers from the preseason finale didn’t do much to settle the debate. Green played the entire second half and completed just seven passes for 27 yards. And scramble yards in preseason can only tell you so much when defenses aren’t game-planning and rosters are filled with longshots.
Still, the result on cutdown day gave Green something to celebrate. In the end, he learned his NFL future in Cleveland in the most NFL way possible.
In Other News...
Browns May Have Found An Unexpected Offensive Line Answer
Zak Zinter went into roster cutdowns as one of the more vulnerable names on the Browns offensive line, but he came out with his spot intact and a real chance to matter this season. The interior lineman had shown enough progress through training camp and the preseason to turn heads, and head coach Todd Monken was among those who took notice as Cleveland sorted through its final decisions.
For a line group that always has to brace for attrition, Zinter now looks like more than just a body on the depth chart. His rise from possible waiver candidate to 53-man roster member gives the Browns another interior option, and the kind of unexpected development that can quietly reshape how a team feels about its protection once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Browns May Have Cut A Preseason Standout Too Soon
The Browns final roster cutdown on Sept. 1 included a move that now looks a little more interesting in hindsight: wide receiver Luke Floriea is gone, even after turning in a productive preseason. For a Cleveland team trying to sort out the back end of its receiver room, Floriea had done enough to at least stay on the radar, and thats exactly what has happened since he was released.
Seattle wasted little time taking a closer look, bringing Floriea in for a workout after losing wideout Cody White. The Seahawks are still filling out their depth chart, and Floriea could be in the mix for a reserve role or a spot on the practice squad, which only adds to the sense that Cleveland may have let a useful piece slip away a little too early. [Read more 🡒]
Browns May Have Fixed The One Problem Holding Back Their Offense
The Browns spent the offseason making the kind of wholesale offensive line changes teams usually make only after they have seen enough. Cleveland added Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Tytus Howard in free agency, brought back Teven Jenkins, and then used the draft on Spencer Fano, Austin Barber and Parker Brailsford to reshape a unit that had grown old and thin last season. It was a clear attempt to give the quarterback better protection and create more room in the run game, two areas that too often limited the offense.
Early camp reports suggest the overhaul is already paying off. The rookie linemen have reportedly held up well and helped give the Browns a stronger, deeper front than the one they fielded a year ago. Whether that translates once the games count is still the real question, but for a team searching for steadier offensive footing, the line is no longer being treated like an afterthought. [Read more 🡒]