Training camp has arrived in Berea, and the Browns still have plenty of sorting to do before the 53-man roster gets locked in. There are battles all over the place, from quarterback down through special teams, and the first pass at the roster already shows how crowded things are.
The biggest decision sits at quarterback, where Watson and Sanders are set to battle for the starting job. The loser of that competition should land as the backup, no matter what trade chatter might pop up.
Dillon Gabriel, a Round 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is in the mix too, but he doesn’t fit what new head coach Todd Monken wants at the position. Green does fit, which is why Cleveland used the first pick of the sixth round on the 6-foot-6 dual threat quarterback.
A source told Browns on SI that an AFC North foe would’ve taken Green in Round 6 if he had reached their spot, so it would be tough for Andrew Berry to try to sneak him through waivers and stash him on the practice squad.
At running back, Judkins, Sampson and Sanders all logged serious snaps for Cleveland last season, and Burton enters the picture after Monken asked for a fullback and got one in free agency. That gives the Browns a room with four backs in this projection.
The receiving group looks pretty clear at the top. Jeudy, Concepcion, Boston and Bond all look like roster locks.
After that, the fight gets interesting. Thrash and Cedric Tillman are former draft picks trying to hold off Corley and Tylan Wallace, both of whom arrived in free agency.
Corley flashed explosiveness last season, while Boston, a Round 2 pick, brings a skill set similar to Tillman’s but with a much higher ceiling. In this setup, Corley and Thrash get the nod over Tillman and Wallace, especially with Concepcion able to handle punt return duties.
Tight end could also be a numbers game. With a fullback now on the roster, carrying only three tight ends makes the most sense here. Fannin Jr. was a rookie standout, Royer is in, and Ryan could push his way onto the team as a seventh-round pick if he does enough as a blocker and keeps catching the ball, potentially beating out veteran Jack Stoll.
Up front, the Browns still haven’t settled on their fifth offensive line starter, but the back end of the group may be easier to read. Leveston worked at guard during spring practices after a rough seven starts at tackle last year, and that flexibility puts pressure on former draft pick Zak Zinter, who hasn’t done much in Cleveland.
Defensively, the Browns may have lost Myles Garrett this offseason, but the front remains deep. Isaiah McGuire gives them premium pass-rush depth, Mike Hall Jr. does the same inside, and Huntington made noise at defensive tackle as a rookie. This season, Fano gets his chance to make similar waves.
At linebacker, Schwesinger and Williams are projected starters, with Watson, Jefferson and Reid rotating in behind them. Jefferson and Reid also bring special teams value, and this could wind up as the most talented position group on the roster.
The secondary got a late addition when the Browns brought in Mathis just before camp for veteran depth and waived Dom Jones with an injury designation. Cornerback is one of those spots where six seems more likely than seven, but the lack of proven depth could push the Browns to keep more bodies there anyway.
At safety, Deplit, Hickman and McNeil-Warren are all treated as locks. Thomas, signed in free agency, is a special teams ace and could have the edge over Christopher Edmonds or Donovan McMillon, both of whom saw action with the Browns last season. Even with Cleveland’s special teams struggling badly a year ago, the three of them should be back in the fold under a new coaching staff.
In Other News...
Sean McVays Message To Jared Verse Says Everything About Browns Trade
Sean McVays explanation of the Jared Verse deal offered a clear look at how the Rams viewed the move that sent the young pass rusher to Cleveland in exchange for Myles Garrett. McVay spoke with respect about Verse, but framed the trade as the kind of painful decision teams make when a chance comes along to land a player at Garretts level, even if it costs a promising defender and future draft capital.
For Browns fans, the interesting part is what McVays comments say about the value attached to Verse versus the impact Garrett is expected to bring. Verse arrives as a rising talent with room to grow, but the Rams willingness to part with him suggests they saw a meaningful gap in immediate pass-rush difference, and that is the kind of judgment that can define a blockbuster trade long after the paperwork is done. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Gave Browns Fans A Stunning Reason To Believe
ESPNs latest under-25 talent rankings offered a jolt of optimism for a Browns fan base that has spent plenty of time looking for signs of a quicker turnaround. Cleveland landed at No. 4 for 2026, a massive leap from 29th a year earlier, and the list points to a young foundation headlined by linebacker Carson Schwesinger and tight end Harold Fannin Jr., with recent draft additions like Spencer Fano and Denzel Boston helping shape the picture.
The bigger takeaway is what that kind of rise suggests about the way the roster is being built. The Browns have leaned hard into a youth movement, and the names around that core, including Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, KC Concepcion, Mason Graham, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Ronnie Hickman, hint at a team trying to stack talent for the long haul rather than force a shortcut. For now, the clearest question is whether this group is merely promising for the future or good enough to change the timeline sooner than expected, even if the broader outlook still points farther down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Should Be Watching One Very Telling Cap Decision
The Browns are carrying plenty of dead money on the cap, but they still enter the season in a workable spot, and the next move on the ledger may come with Denzel Ward. Cleveland is widely expected to adjust the cornerbacks deal before Week 1, a routine kind of maneuver for a team trying to keep flexibility while managing one of its most important veterans.
Wards contract has become a talking point because of how much cap weight it carries going forward, especially with his 2026 number looming large among non-quarterbacks on the roster. A restructure would only sharpen the conversation around what the Browns want to do with him long term, and for now the front office has left that part of the picture open. [Read more 🡒]