Browns 53 Ready to go for Week One

The Trades

In a surprising trade, considering the depth at wide receiver, the Browns acquired Taywan Taylor from the Tennessee Titans for a 2020 undisclosed draft pick. Picked initially in the third-round by Tennessee in 2017, Taylor has played in 29 career games with nine starts. He has 53 career receptions for 697 yards with two touchdowns. Last year marked his best year in Tennessee registering 37 catches for 466 yards and a touchdown in 13 games.

The Browns also made two trades to bolster depth along the offensive line, specifically guard. The Browns added Bills guard Wyatt Teller and Justin McCray of the Packers in those deals. In the Teller trade, the Browns also acquired a 2020 seventh-round pick giving the Bills picks in the fifth and sixth rounds of the same draft. In the deal for McCray, the Browns swapped undisclosed 2020 draft picks. With 20 starts between them, the Browns have strengthened one of the weakest areas of the team.

David Blough impressed the Browns, but in the end, you can only carry three quarterbacks on the roster. He was also unlikely to get through waivers and onto the practice squad even with his strong performance this preseason. The emergence of former AAF star, Garrett Gilbert as a viable backup quarterback and Drew Stanton a lock to make the team Blough was the odd man out. The Browns agreed to send Blough and a 2022 undisclosed draft pick to the Detriot Lions for an undisclosed 2022 draft pick.

The Roster Cuts

Terminated contracts: Ray-Ray Armstrong, Britton Colquitt, Carl Davis, Bryan Witzmann

Waived Players(by position):

Running Back/Fullback: Trayone Gray, A.J. Ouellette, Joe Kerridge

Wide Receiver: Dorian Baker, Ishmael Hyman, Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi, Derrick Willies, Braxton Miller

Tight End: Seth DeValve, Stephen Carlson

Offensive Line: Brian Fineanganofo, Kyle Kalis, Brad Seaton, Travis Vornkahl, Willie Wright

Defensive Line: Brandin Bryant, Jarrell Owens, Brian Price, Wyatt Ray, Anthony Zettel

Linebacker: LB Dedrick Young II, Anthony Stubbs, Willie Harvey

Defensive backs: J.T. Hassell, Robert Jackson, Donnie Lewis Jr., Montrel Meander, Lenzy Pipkins, Tigie Sankoh,

Specialists: Greg Joseph

IR: CB Phillip Gaines (concussion)

Reserve/suspended by the commissioner: WR Antonio Callaway, RB Kareem Hunt, and TE Rico Gathers.

The Final 53

Quarterbacks (3): Baker Mayfield, Drew Stanton, Garrett Gilbert

Running backs (3): Nick Chubb, Dontrell Hilliard, D’Ernest Johnson

Wide receivers (5): Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Taywan Taylor, Damion Ratley

Tight ends (3): David Njoku, Demetrius Harris, Pharaoh Brown

Offensive linemen (10): Greg Robinson, Joel Bitonio, JC Tretter, Eric Kush, Chris Hubbard, Austin Corbett, Drew Forbes, Kendall Lamm, Wyatt Teller, Justin McCray

Defensive linemen (9): Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Chris Smith, Chad Thomas, Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Richardson, Devaroe Lawrence, Trevon Coley, Daniel Ekuale

Linebackers (6): Christian Kirksey, Joe Schobert, Mack Wilson, Sione Takitaki, Genard Avery, Adarius Taylor

Defensive backs (11): Denzel Ward, Terrance Mitchell, Greedy Williams, T.J. Carrie, Tavierre Thomas, Damarious Randall, Morgan Burnett, Jermaine Whitehead, Sheldrick Redwine, Eric Murray, Juston Burris

Specialists (3): K Austin Seibert, P Jamie Gillan, LS Charley Hughlett

John Dorsey and the front office have traded, waived, and waiver claimed their way down to 53. While most of the roster has played out as expected, letting go of Pro Bowl punter Britton Colquitt could hurt. The Browns have some big contracts coming, and saving $4.4 million on a punter is a gamble the Browns are willing to take. Having two rookie specialists, no matter how cool the nickname, could come back to bite them later in the year. Thus is the roster-building game.

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