The Cleveland Browns need to get their roster down to 53 players by Saturday at 4:00 PM ET. Some NFL cuts may come in early, so we will begin to track them here in a live blog format. Please feel free to use the comments section to discuss cuts around the NFL who may be of interest to Cleveland.
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a raw list of today’s reported cuts so far.
Browns Roster Cuts Live Blog
2:10 PM: The Browns have announced their 53-man roster.
1:10 PM: Hmmmm, interesting. TE Pharaoh Brown has indicated that he’s made the 53-man roster, per his Instagram. Will the Browns actually keep five tight ends? Or, could there still be a trade in the works for TE David Njoku?
Pharaoh Brown just posted this to IG. Tight end situation getting interesting with Stephen Carlson already on board pic.twitter.com/xHTskwfnnL
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) September 5, 2020
12:37 PM: I’m back now — I ran out to get some pizza for lunch. While I was gone, here were the updates: CB A.J. Green has indeed been waived. That means there are six cuts to go. Additionally, Jake Trotter says that WR Rashard Higgins has won the No. 3 receiving job, and that TE Stephen Carlson is making the initial 53-man roster.
Browns waive CB A.J. Green, per source. Obviously strong practice squad candidate if he clears waivers.
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) September 5, 2020
11:40 AM: The Browns have waived S Jovante Moffate and CB Robert Jackson. 7 more cuts to go.
11:22 AM: The Browns will only keep two quarterbacks on the roster, as QB Garrett Gilbert has been cut. There are 9 more cuts to go.
#Browns have waived 3rd QB Garrett Gilbert, meaning they're keeping 2 on the 53, source says. Gilbert will end up on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 5, 2020
11:12 AM: I got the running back position right! The Browns are cutting RB Dontrell Hilliard, which seems to indicate that RB D’Ernest Johnson will make the team.
Browns cut RB Dontrell Hilliard, per source. Returned kicks and punts for Browns last year. Also had 2 rushing TDs.
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) September 5, 2020
10:28 AM: I forgot to list RB Benny LeMay as a cut earlier, so we’re down to 11 more cuts to go.
10:32 AM: Darn it! My chance at my first-ever perfect roster projection has been thwarted. The Browns are cutting CB Donovan Olumba, who wasn’t a big name heading into camp coming over from the Cowboys, but he saw some decent reps in camp and made some visible plays. Perhaps this means the team will stash undrafted free agent CB A.J. Green after all? 12 more cuts to go.
Browns cut CB Donovan Olumba, per source
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) September 5, 2020
10:29 AM: We’re getting there quickly. Next up on the cut list is LB Solomon Ajayi. 13 more moves to go.
10:26 AM: Another one: FB Johnny Stanton has been waived, per Jake Trotter. He could make the practice squad as a backup fullback/long snapper. 10 players have been cut, with 14 more moves to go.
10:24 AM: Here is a big one! The Browns are waiving former 3rd round pick DE Chad Thomas, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer. That is one that I was on the fence on, but I ultimately cut him in my projection.
#Browns DE Chad Thomas has been waived, per source
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 5, 2020
10:20 AM: Heading into Saturday, the Browns had 77 players on the roster. They needed to make 24 roster moves by 4:00 PM ET in order to get to 53 players.
8 roster cuts have been reported so far, meaning there are 16 players to go before the day is over with. The latest cut is OT Brady Aiello, who was just signed the other day. I’m curiously waiting to see how much of my 53-man roster projection is accurate this year.
10:15 AM: Good morning, Browns fans! We’re a tad late to start the roster cuts live blog today, but we have a list of reported cuts so far at the bottom of the page. The biggest one so far is WR Damion Ratley, a former sixth-round pick:
Browns have cut WRs Taywan Taylor and Damion Ratley, per sources
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) September 5, 2020
List of Browns Roster Cuts So Far
This raw list will be updated Friday and Saturday as news comes in:
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS CUT
- QB Garrett Gilbert
- QB Kevin Davidson
- RB Dontrell Hilliard
- RB Benny LeMay
- FB Johnny Stanton
- WR Damion Ratley
- WR Taywan Taylor
- WR Ja’Marcus Bradley
- OL Willie Wright
- OT Brady Aiello
- OT Alex Taylor
- OG Michael Dunn
- C Jon Toth
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS CUT
- DE Chad Thomas
- DT Daniel Ekuale
- DE Robert McCray
- LB Willie Harvey
- LB Solomon Ajayi
- LB Montrel Meander
- CB Donovan Olumba
- CB Robert Jackson
- CB A.J. Green
- S Jovante Moffate
- S Elijah Benton