The Browns’ tight end situation has become one of the clearest trouble spots in Cleveland’s early-season offense, and it’s starting to point toward a possible move before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
Through five games of the 2026 season, the run game has struggled badly, and the tight end room is a big reason why. Cleveland opened the offseason program with more options at the position, but that depth has already been chipped away. The Browns released Jack Stoll from injured reserve and then put rookie Joe Royer on the reserve/non-football illness list because of an off-the-field issue.
That leaves Blake Whiteheart, described as a fringe practice squad veteran, and Carsen Ryan, a seventh-round pick who has also lined up at fullback, behind Harold Fannin Jr. With so little proven depth, the Browns are limited in how often they can lean on heavier personnel packages.
That matters because formations like 12, 13, and 22 personnel can give an offense extra blocking help by putting more tight ends on the field. But with Cleveland lacking reliable options behind Fannin, those packages become harder to use consistently, which makes the offense easier to predict.
The numbers underline the problem. Entering Week 5, Cleveland’s tight end group ranked last in the NFL with a 45.0 PFF run-blocking grade, according to Jets X-Factor.
So the idea of Andrew Berry making a move makes sense, and one name has already surfaced as a possible fit: Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover, the former Ohio State standout.
As Brandon Little of A to Z Sports put it: “With the Joe Royer mystery and lack of tight end depth, the Browns should call the Texans to see if they can get Cade Stover back to Ohio. Wouldn’t take much to get it done. pic.twitter.com/juBB5R7Jr8”
Stover is in a small role with Houston right now, with just two catches for 18 yards this season. He was drafted by the Texans in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft and posted a 60.7 PFF run-blocking grade as a rookie, which was the best mark among Houston’s tight ends that year.
He’s still on a rookie contract and only two seasons removed from the draft, so the price may not be as light as his usage suggests. Even so, if Berry can land him for a cost he finds acceptable, such as a day 3 pick, a return to Ohio could help both Stover and the Browns.
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