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Sal Cannella Sal Cannella Earns opportunity with Browns
Thu, Jun 19, 2025, 11:56 AM
Cleveland agreed to terms Thursday on a contract with Cannella, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Cannella led all UFL tight ends with 470 receiving yards last season, and he now gets another chance to develop with an NFL club. He spent training camp in 2024 with the Buccaneers but didn't make the team's 53-man roster. |
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Harold Fannin Harold Fannin May have major role as rookie
Fri, Jun 13, 2025, 9:46 PM
Fannin could be a big part of a Browns offense that is likely to run more two-tight-end sets in 2025, per ESPN.com.
Analysis: Cleveland invested significant stock in Fannin, taking him in the third round of April's NFL Draft. The Bowling Green product showed off serious pass-catching skills in college, tallying 117 receptions on 156 targets for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final campaign. The reception and yardage totals were the most by a tight end in a single season in FBS history, though at 6-foot-3, 241 pounds, Fannin is a bit undersized for his position in the NFL. That said, Browns tight ends coach Christian Jones praised Fannin for his strong hands and ability to track the ball following a strong practice Thursday, and the incoming rookie could immediately get looks in the Browns' offense alongside veteran TE David Njoku, who is heading into the final season of a four-year contract. |
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Shedeur Sanders Shedeur Sanders Last QB to get reps
Thu, Jun 12, 2025, 10:05 PM
Sanders has been the fourth quarterback to get reps during mandatory minicamp, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Coach Kevin Stefanski has said not to read into the order in which quarterbacks are getting reps, and the team has used seniority to organize their signal callers to this point. That lands Sanders last in line, as Dillion Gabriel was selected ahead of him in the 2025 NFL Draft. Jackson did note that Sanders has looked decisive and has delivered the ball quickly and confidently. |
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Dillon Gabriel Dillon Gabriel Getting some first-team reps
Thu, Jun 12, 2025, 10:01 PM
Gabriel has gotten reps with the first-team offense and faced the first-team defense during mandatory minicamp, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: As veterans, both Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett have been first in line for reps during minicamp. However, Flacco has observed large portions of the session due to his veteran status, allowing Gabriel to get valuable reps. Jackson noted that Gabriel has struggled early on in the practices but has gotten better as the days have progressed. |
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Joe Flacco Joe Flacco Mentor during offseason work
Thu, Jun 12, 2025, 9:57 PM
Flacco took limited reps during mandatory minicamp, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Flacco is entering his 18th NFL season, so extra reps during the offseason aren't necessarily all that valuable. He participated enough to help install the offense, but otherwise served as a mentor to Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, helping them develop a cadence and study film. Flacco is expected to compete for the starting job during training camp and could realistically be under center for Cleveland's Week 1 matchup against the Bengals. |
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Kenny Pickett Kenny Pickett Getting plenty of reps
Thu, Jun 12, 2025, 9:40 PM
Pickett has been the first quarterback in the warmup line and most drills during mandatory minicamp, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Pickett is getting the opportunity for a lot of reps due to a combination of his seniority and the lack of need for Joe Flacco to get reps as a seasoned veteran. Jackson described Pickett's performance as "unremarkable" and also said that the order in which the Browns' quarterbacks take reps has little meaning at this point in the offseason. |
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David Njoku David Njoku On field for minicamp
Thu, Jun 12, 2025, 10:54 AM
Njoku (knee) has been an active participant at Cleveland's mandatory minicamp, which concludes Thursday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Njoku missed the final two regular-season games of the 2024 campaign due to a knee injury and then skipped voluntary OTAs, but his participation at minicamp finally provides confirmation that he's fully healthy. The 2017 first-round pick, who turns 29 in July, figures to be extra motivated as he heads into a contract year, and with the Browns having added some competition for routes in the form of third-round rookie TE Harold Fannin, who led the FBS in terms of catches in 2024. Njoku is no stranger to underwhelming quarterback play, but as Cleveland prepares for a year in which all of Deshaun Watson (Achilles), Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders have conceivable paths to the starting lineup, it looks inevitable that he again is faced with overcoming a tumultuous situation under center. |
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Michael Woods Michael Woods Returns to the gridiron
Thu, May 29, 2025, 12:58 PM
Woods (knee) participated in Wednesday's organized team activities, Joshua Gunter of Cleveland.com reports.
Analysis: The 2022 sixth-round pick from Oklahoma missed the Browns' 2024 season finale due to a knee injury, but his participation during the team's OTAs suggests he's now past the issue. Woods appeared in five games with Cleveland last season, catching seven of his 18 targets for 65 yards across 291 offensive snaps. Now healthy, he's expected to compete for a depth spot in the team's wide receiver room throughout the summer. |
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Cedric Tillman Cedric Tillman On field for OTAs
Thu, May 29, 2025, 12:07 PM
Tillman (concussion) is participating in OTAs and worked alongside Jerry Jeudy with the first-team offense Wednesday, Dan Lebbe of cleveland.com reports.
Analysis: Tillman missed the Browns' final six regular-season games of 2024 while in the concussion protocol and ended the year on IR, so it's encouraging to see him working without any apparent limitations during spring drills. The 2023 third-round pick seems the early favorite to earn the No. 2 receiver spot alongside Jeudy, with Elijah Moore now in Buffalo and veteran Diontae Johnson representing Cleveland's largest splash at wideout this offseason. Tillman was barely involved the first six weeks of 2024, in which span he totaled just six catches for nine yards, but he enjoyed a brief five-game breakout with Jameis Winston under center from Week 7 to Week 12. He put together a 26-330-3 receiving line on 44 targets in those five appearances, with the concussion cutting his Week 12 short at 56 percent of snaps. As Tillman works to translate that production into a true Year 3 breakout rather than a mere flash in the pan, he seems destined to once again have to overcome a quarterback rotation that will carry the risk of subpar play. |
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Deshaun Watson Deshaun Watson Out of walking boot
Mon, May 19, 2025, 7:29 PM
Watson (Achilles) has been out of his walking boot for several weeks and was throwing to teammates at the Browns' facility Monday, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.
Analysis: Watson had a second surgery on his Achilles on Jan. 9 after aggravating the injury. He's not expected to be ready for the start of the season, and he isn't projected to compete for the starting job even when he is capable of retaking the field. Nevertheless, Cabot described Watson as having made "excellent progress" in his recovery. |
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Troy Hairston Troy Hairston Could have role in 2025
Fri, May 16, 2025, 6:44 AM
Hairston is in line for a role on the 2025 roster with the expectation that the Browns will utilize the fullback position this season, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Hairston, who signed a futures contract with the Browns in January, has game experience at fullback from when he was with the Texans. Whether the Browns actually carry a fullback and make plans to use the position will evolve over the summer. Hairston's fate is tied to the number of tight ends and true running backs that end up sticking around. |
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Pierre Strong Pierre Strong Heads in last year of rookie deal
Tue, May 6, 2025, 11:22 AM
As the Browns' OTAs approach, Strong is slated to compete for slotting in a backfield that includes returnee Jerome Ford, as well as rookies Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Analysis: A concussion prevented Strong from suiting up for the Browns' season finale in 2024, but now that he's presumably past the issue, the 2022 fourth-rounder -- who is in the last year of his rookie contract -- will look to retain his depth role in the team's backfield. Additionally, Strong remains an option in the return game, but as long as Judkins and Sampson stay healthy, it remains to be seen how much of a role in the offense Strong will see after logging 26 carries for 108 yards and a 14-104-0 receiving line on 22 targets in 14 games last year while working alongside Ford, Nick Chubb and D'Onta Foreman. |
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Jerome Ford Jerome Ford Accepts pay cut
Fri, May 2, 2025, 2:21 PM
Ford (ankle) agreed to terms Friday on a salary reduction from $3.49 million to a guaranteed $1.75 million for the 2025 season, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.
Analysis: Ford's salary reduction follows the Browns' selection of second-round running back Quinshon Judkins at No. 33 overall in April's draft, in addition to running back Dylan Sampson in the fourth round. Per Kabot, had Ford not agreed to a pay cut he would have been a trade candidate, and Cleveland may have re-signed free agent Nick Chubb (foot). With Ford's spot on the roster now essentially guaranteed, the door appears closed for Chubb to reunite with the Browns, barring damage to the team's depth. Zac Jackson and Lauren Smith of The Athletic report that Ford currently retains his hold on the top spot on the depth chart, but his pay cut is a clear indication the role will be up for grabs if Judkins logs a more impressive offseason. |
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Kenny Pickett Kenny Pickett Will have fifth-year option declined
Mon, Apr 28, 2025, 7:00 PM
The Browns aren't expected to pick up Pickett's fifth-year option, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: Cleveland traded for Pickett in a deal that sent Dorian Thompson-Robinson to the Eagles in March, but the organization appears unwilling to commit to giving the former Steeler $22.1 million in guaranteed money by picking up his option. That decision may have been influenced in part by the Browns adding two quarterbacks -- Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders -- via the draft, and the team also re-signed veteran Joe Flacco in mid-April. All four are expected to compete for the Browns' starting QB role during training camp, though Deshaun Watson may have a chance of reclaiming that job when he eventually returns from a ruptured Achilles. |
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Diontae Johnson Diontae Johnson Finds new home in Cleveland
Mon, Apr 28, 2025, 5:45 PM
Johnson signed a contract with the Browns on Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: After spending the first five years of his career with the Steelers, the 2019 third-rounder was shipped to the Panthers last offseason, dealt to the Ravens in late October and also had a brief stint with the Texans down the stretch after a tumultuous time in Baltimore. Between the three teams, Johnson hauled in 33 of 67 targets for 375 yards and three touchdowns in 12 regular-season games. All but the TD mark were career lows. Upon joining Cleveland, he'll be a part of his third AFC North organization and likely will be in the mix for regular snaps in a receiving corps without established options beyond Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman (concussion). |
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Kenny Pickett Kenny Pickett Team adds two rookies to QB room
Mon, Apr 28, 2025, 1:59 PM
Pickett has been joined in Cleveland's quarterback room by rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, whom the Browns drafted in the third and fifth rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, respectively.
Analysis: Cleveland's quarterback depth chart now runs five players deep, including Deshaun Watson, who isn't expected to be available for the beginning of the season as he recovers from a torn Achilles. After trading for Pickett on March 10, the Browns signed the 40-year-old Joe Flacco on April 11, then drafted Gabriel out of Oregon and Sanders out of Colorado. Sanders was viewed as a likely first-round pick before surprisingly dropping in the draft, so he has more immediate upside than the typical fifth-round draft pick. Pickett may be able to thread the needle and win the starting job as a far younger option than Flacco but one with more experience than Sanders or Gabriel, but even in that scenario, Pickett would likely be on a short leash with no shortage of available alternatives under center. |
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Joe Flacco Joe Flacco Team adds two QBs in draft
Mon, Apr 28, 2025, 1:53 PM
Flacco will face additional competition from rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, whom the Browns drafted in the third and fifth rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, respectively.
Analysis: Deshaun Watson isn't expected to be available for the beginning of the season as he recovers from a torn Achilles, but Cleveland now has four potential Week 1 starting options in Flacco (signed April 11), Kenny Pickett (traded for March 10), Gabriel out of Oregon and Sanders out of Colorado. Even if the 40-year-old Flacco wins the job initially in camp, it likely won't take long until Cleveland turns to one of the three younger options, who possess significantly more long-term upside, especially because Sanders was viewed as a likely first-round pick before surprisingly dropping in the draft. |
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David Njoku David Njoku May lose routes to rookie?
Mon, Apr 28, 2025, 1:02 PM
Njoku (knee) will be joined in Cleveland's TE room by No. 67 overall pick Harold Fannin.
Analysis: Fannin is a unique prospect, lacking ideal size (6-foot-3, 241 pounds) and speed (4.71 40) but still attracting plenty of NFL interest thanks to his FBS-leading 117 receptions at Bowling Green last season. Njoku is bigger, faster, stronger and a better blocker, but Fannin may ultimately push for some passing-down snaps in single-TE formations if he runs crisp routes and is quick to learn the offense. It's a comparable situation to the one in Baltimore with Isaiah Likely, who also put up huge numbers at a mediocre college program and notably didn't have much impact on Mark Andrews' role until their third season playing together. Of course, Njoku isn't held in the same regard as Andrews, and the Browns may take more of an interest in developing young players during a likely rebuilding year than the Ravens did while trying to win a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, there hasn't been any update on the knee injury that held Njoku out for the final two games of last season. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as it might just mean he avoided surgery and completed his recovery without incident. |
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Jerome Ford Jerome Ford Atop depth chart for now
Sat, Apr 26, 2025, 10:51 AM
Ford (ankle) is atop the depth chart at running back, but that could change given the Browns' selection of Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins with the 36th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Zac Jackson and Lauren Smith of The Athletic report.
Analysis: Ford enters the final year of his rookie deal and has been a competent complementary player behind Nick Chubb the last three seasons. Drafting Judkins suggests the team will not bring Chubb back, and the rookie Buckeyes running back is talented enough to earn carries immediately. At the very least, Judkins will be part of the backfield from Day 1 and could take over as the primary back early in the season -- the same path Chubb took to become one of the game's best backs prior to a serious knee injury in 2023. Think of Ford as atop the depth chart with an asterisk. |
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Joe Flacco Joe Flacco Returning to Cleveland
Fri, Apr 11, 2025, 8:23 AM
Flacco has agreed to a one-year deal with the Browns, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Per the report, Flacco's deal is for $4 million, though the veteran QB could earn up to $13 million with incentives factored in. Flacco -- who played for the Colts last season -- is thus in line to return to Cleveland, where he won the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award in 2023. Bringing back the 40-year-old bolsters a signal-caller corps that also includes Deshaun Watson -- who could miss most or all of the 2025 season due to an Achilles injury -- and 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett. It's also quite possible that the Browns will select another QB in the upcoming NFL Draft, but as things stand now, Flacco is in a position to compete with Pickett to be the team's starter in Week 1. |
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