Browns' 53-man roster announced Aug. 30 isn't a finished product

Aug. 30—Cutdown day in the NFL always comes with hand-wringing, and when the moment comes, there are rarely any shocking announcements. So it was for the Browns on Aug. 30 when they made 20 roster moves to get to the required 53.

As it stands now, the Browns are carrying two quarterbacks, five running backs, five receivers, two tight ends, 10 offensive linemen, 10 defensive linemen, six linebackers, five cornerbacks, five safeties, plus kicker Cade York, punter Corey Bojorquez and long snapper Charley Hughlett.

"Sometimes that 53 isn't the final one," head coach Kevin Stefanski said after practice. "Really, it evolves the entire season, also. I think it remains to be seen (how much it will change). That 53 is a puzzle, and you're trying to put it together and be smart about how you do it. We'll see how it shakes out."

Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs are the only quarterbacks on the roster. Josh Rosen's contract was terminated, and Deshaun Watson was placed on the reserve/suspended by commissioner list. Watson must serve an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy before he can play in a game.

Undrafted rookie safety D'Anthony Bell discusses the hard work he put in and the excitement he felt when he was told he made the #Browns 53-man roster. pic.twitter.com/PqyGBnFDVA

— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) August 30, 2022

One quarterback will be signed to the practice squad, Stefanski said. Players cannot be added to the practice squad until 4 p.m. Aug. 31 — 24 hours after the 53-man roster cutdown deadline. The Browns might sign Rosen to the practice squad or sign a quarterback that was cut by another team to be their practice squad quarterback.

David Njoku and Harrison Bryant are the only tight ends on the current roster. Tight ends Nakia Griffin-Stewart, Miller Forristall and Zaire Mitchell-Paden were waived. So was fullback Johnny Stanton.

Practice always seems different the first day rosters go from 80 to 53. #Browns pic.twitter.com/meJHeHa2N8

— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) August 30, 2022

Browns General Manager Andrew Berry will likely add a tight end to the 53-man roster before the season opener Sept. 11 against the Panthers, but as with any players added from the waiver wire, the moves will be to fill holes at the bottom of the roster, not at the top.

"It's our job with Andrew, the personnel staff and the coaches to talk about how we want to play, what we need and where we're going," Stefanski said "Those are tough decisions to make. You would love to keep everybody. As we know, you can't."

Five running backs are on the initial 53-man roster — Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, D'Ernest Johnson, Jerome Ford and Demetric Felton.

Five receivers were kept — Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz plus rookies Michael Woods II and David Bell.

Felton got more work as a receiver than as a running back during training training camp and in preseason games. He worked with the wide receivers in practice Aug. 30. Still, the Browns could be expected to claim a wide receiver off waivers or trade for one before the season starts.

Guard Blake Hance was among offensive linemen waived by the Browns. Along with starters Jedrick Wills, Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller and Jack Conklin, backups Chris Hubbard, James Hudson, Drew Forbes, Michael Dunn and Hjalte Froholdt were kept.

Forbes making the team, at least for now, was a mild surprise. Forbes, selected in the sixth round of the 2019 draft when John Dorsey was general manager, played in two games as a rookie. He opted out of 2020 because of COVID and missed most of last season with a knee injury. He played in one game in 2021.

"He's one of the hardest workers, definitely one of the strongest guys on the team," Stefanski said. "He's had a really good training camp."

Starting ends Myles Garrett plus Jadeveon Clowney and starting tackles Taven Bryan plus Jordan Elliott lead the defensive linemen to make the final roster. Rookie draft picks Alex Wright, Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas were kept, along with Chase Winovich, Tommy Togiai and Isaac Rochell, a sixth-year veteran who previously played for the Chargers and Colts.

Five of the six linebackers kept were on the roster last season — Anthony Walker Jr., Jacob Phillips, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Sione Takitaki and Tony Fields II. Jordan Kunaszyk is the new kid on the block. The fourth-year veteran totaled 26 games and 14 tackles, primarily on special teams, with the Panthers and Commanders.

M.J. Emerson, the third-round draft pick from Mississippi State, is the lone rookie among the cornerbacks to make the 53-man roster. Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome are the starters. Greedy Williams will be the right corner and Newsome will be over the slot when opponents use three wide receivers. Versatile A.J. Green also made the roster as a cornerback.

One safety to make the roster — D'Anthony Bell — stands out among John Johnson, Ronnie Harrison, Grant Delpit and Richard LeCounte III.

Bell is the first undrafted rookie to make the roster in the three years Berry has been general manager and Stefanski head coach.

"I was not the one who told (Bell he made the team)," Stefanski said. "As you can imagine for all of these guys, oftentimes it's a dream for every rookie.

"You're drafted or undrafted, it's a dream to make that 53. It's hard to make that 53. I'm really proud of those guys. It was a very, very difficult decision in a bunch of areas, but the guys that you're fortunate enough to keep, you're excited for."

Berry has the final say on the Browns' roster. He has drafted 24 players since taking over in 2020. Twenty-two of his picks are on the current 53-man roster. The two that aren't, center Nick Harris and center Dawson Deaton, are on injured reserve.

Roster moves

The Browns waived the following 17 players Aug. 30: LB Dakota Allen, WR Daylen Baldwin, TE Miller Forristall, TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart, G Blake Hance, WR Mike Harley Jr., LB Wille Harvey Jr., S Lavert Hill (injured), C Brock Hoffman, CB Shaun Jolly, CB Herb Miller, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, G David Moore Jr., T Alex Taylor, DT Roderick Perry II, FB Johnny Stanton IV and WR Easop Winston.

The contracts of QB Josh Rosen and RB John Kelly were terminated. Quarterack Deshaun Watson was placed on the reserve/suspended by Commissioner list.