The Cleveland Browns made a massive chop yesterday, slicing 16 players from their roster in the first wave of moves as they scramble towards Sunday’s 6:00 PM ET deadline. They’ve still got twenty more players to cut, aiming for that final 53-man squad, and every single decision matters with the regular season looming. This isn’t just about making the numbers work, it’s about building a team ready to compete.
The First Wave Hits Cleveland’s Roster
Talk about a busy Friday in Cleveland! The Browns kicked off their roster finalization by terminating four contracts and waiving another twelve players, making a huge dent in their overall numbers. Tight end Jack Stoll, offensive tackle Tyre Phillips, and cornerbacks Tre Avery and Tyler Hall saw their contracts terminated, with Stoll specifically noted as coming off Injured Reserve. Losing those experienced guys hurts, but sometimes it’s a necessary move for the bigger picture. Then came the twelve waived players: wide receiver Ben Patterson, tight ends Jermaine Terry II and Drew Biber, offensive tackles Jeremiah Byers and Izavion Miller, defensive tackles Coziah Izzard and Patrick Jenkins, defensive end Jamil Muhammad, cornerbacks Jeremiah McClendon and Nate Evans, safety Christopher Edmonds, and punter Nik Constantinou. Our guy covering the beats there said none of these moves were a shocker, even mentioning Avery as a temporary guy who was never expected to be a long-term fixture. For all those waived players with less than four years in the league, it’s a nervous wait over the weekend to see if another team snags them off waivers by Monday at 1:00 PM ET, or if they’ll fight for a coveted spot on a 16-man practice squad. Every one of these guys is looking for a new home, and time is ticking.
Deadline Pressure and Distant Dreams
Now, with 73 players still on the books, the Browns need to trim another 20 before the Sunday evening deadline. It’s wild because the team still had a practice scheduled for Saturday. Imagine being one of those guys on the bubble, hitting the field knowing a cut could come at any minute, risking injury when you could be looking for a new spot? Tony Grossi reported that no more moves were coming Saturday, meaning Sunday is gonna be absolutely bananas for Cleveland. You’ve got media sessions, the head coach Todd Monken speaking, then practice. While the Browns are locked in on their own roster, you even hear whispers of other wild moves across the league, like the Falcons and Chargers reportedly discussing a Tua trade. It just shows how frantic this time of year is, with every team trying to get their ducks in a row. All this roster juggling in Cleveland is happening with a specific target in mind, right? FanDuel has the Browns at 225/1 odds to win the Super Bowl this season. Every move, every cut, every kept player, is a piece of that puzzle.
The countdown is officially on for the final 20 cuts, with the initial 53-man roster dropping by Sunday evening. These next hours are absolutely crucial for setting the foundation for the season. Keep your eyes peeled, because once those final cuts are made, the 2026 Cleveland Browns will finally be ready to roll, chasing those long shot Super Bowl dreams one roster spot at a time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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