With roster cutdowns looming and one preseason game left before the Browns turn to their 74th NFL regular season, the edges of this roster still look unfinished. Cleveland did take a step three days ago by adding defensive end Derek Barnett, but there’s still room for one more move - maybe more than one - before Week 1 sends them to Jacksonville.
The biggest crack remains at defensive end. Barnett arrived on a one-year, $5.5 million deal to help replace Alex Wright, who is out for the season after an Achilles’ tear, but the Browns have been searching this spot for a while.
They brought in former Browns Jadeveon Clowney and Za’Darius Smith for visits to Berea before both signed elsewhere. Earlier in free agency, Cleveland also had an agreement lined up with A.J.
Epenesa before that deal fell apart.
Even after all that, the team didn’t add a draft pick at the position, and the depth is thin enough that up to three undrafted free agents - Logan Fano, Khordae Sydnor and Tyreak Sapp - have a real shot to survive on the 53-man roster, though likely only two will make it. If the Browns aren’t ready to make a bigger swing for one of the top names still out there, such as Arizona’s Josh Sweat or the Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux, they still ought to be shopping in the Barnett range. At minimum, a call should be made to see what Tennessee’s Jacob Martin or Atlanta’s Azeez Ojulari would cost.
Quarterback Gabriel is another name that still feels like it could move, even if Cleveland’s leverage has taken a hit. The Browns have held onto him too long, and after being overdrafted and then turning in a rough rookie season last year, his trade value was already limited. Last Saturday’s preseason performance likely didn’t help.
Atlanta looks like the most logical destination. Reports out of there haven’t been kind to Tua Tagovailoa, and Kevin Stefanski may want more insurance behind Michael Penix Jr. and Tagovailoa.
Stefanski was the Browns head coach last year when Gabriel was drafted in the third round, and Gabriel never seriously entered the starting conversation in Cleveland under the incoming staff. He’s also a left-hander, just like Penix and Tagovailoa, which would make the transition easier from a playbook standpoint.
A Gabriel-for-Ojulari swap isn’t guaranteed to work straight up, but it’s the kind of deal that could help both sides.
Then there’s the backfield, where the Browns’ current production deserves a harder look. Quinshon Judkins posted a 3.6 yard-per-carry average last year, while Dylan Sampson came in at 2.7, and neither number seems to be drawing much concern in Berea.
It should. Todd Monken wants a dependable power-running attack, and while Judkins looked solid for much of his rookie year, he only topped 100 rushing yards once and had multiple rushing touchdowns just twice in 2025.
Sampson’s scoring came entirely through the passing game, with both of his touchdowns arriving as receptions.
That’s why a lower-cost addition could make sense. A slashing runner like the Giants’ Tyrone Tracy Jr. or a sturdier option like the Eagles’ Dameon Pierce could fit into the Browns’ current group and give the offense a different look.
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Todd Monken has named Deshaun Watson the starter, with Shedeur Sanders backing him up, a setup that adds another layer to an already watched quarterback room. Even with the preseason winding down, the decision keeps the focus on how the Browns view the position and what the competition has meant inside the building as the regular season approaches. [Read more 🡒]