Terrance West reportedly involved in trade talks
September 5, 2015Browns trade Terrance West to Titans, claim OL Austin Pasztor
September 6, 2015The Cleveland Browns have trimmed their roster to 53 players, the team announced Saturday afternoon. Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor is among the players who made it past the final cutdown day, while fourth-round pick Vince Mayle was among those cut.
It is important to note that the roster turnover is not done yet. Further transactions are likely to take place as teams around the league look over the list of cuts. The Browns have also received trade offers for running back Terrance West.
General manager Ray Farmer needs to work quickly, as his four-game suspension begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
Pryor finished the preseason without any catches, but the Browns apparently believe that his athleticism and potential are worth keeping. Pryor is the biggest receiver on the team at 6-4 and 230 pounds, and he could be a fixture in red zone packages. Mayle struggled throughout training camp and the preseason. His release is particularly disappointing since he was the No. 123 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Veteran free agent signee Dwayne Bowe was rumored to be on the chopping block, but he is among seven receivers to make the cut. The Browns WR corps includes some quick little guys (Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, Travis Benjamin), some bigger veterans (Bowe, Brian Hartline), a special teamer (Marlon Moore), and whatever Pryor can provide.
Another receiver, Josh Lenz, announced his own release via Twitter Saturday morning. Defensive lineman Phil Taylor was released Tuesday in the cut to 75 players.
Quarterbacks Pat Devlin and Thad Lewis were both cut, leaving Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel the only signal-callers on the active roster.
Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West (assuming he isn’t traded), and Duke Johnson will continue their battle for playing time in the backfield, as running backs Shaun Draughn and Tim Flanders were also cut.
The Browns have four tight ends on the roster: Gary Barnidge, Jim Dray, Rob Housler, and E.J. Bibbs. Barnidge and Dray are holdovers from last year. Housler hasn’t moved the needle much since being signed in April. Bibbs, signed this year as an undrafted free agent, has turned some heads with his ability to make tacklers miss. Bibbs is the only UDFA to make the roster.
For now, the Browns have six offensive linemen: last year’s starting unit plus rookie Cameron Erving.
Jamie Meder is among the eight defensive linemen on the roster. Meder was the highest graded D-lineman in the league by Pro Football Focus through three preseason games, and is likely to see time at defensive end. Billy Winn and John Hughes, both 2012 draft picks, made the team, as did this year’s DL duo, Danny Shelton and Xavier Cooper.
The linebacking crew is similar to last year’s. Paul Kruger, Barkevious Mingo, Nate Orchard, and Scott Solomon will handle most of the pass rushing duties, with Karlos Dansby, Christian Kirksey, and Craig Robertson manning the middle.
Rookie cornerback Charles Gaines and rookie safety Ibraheim Campbell are among the 11 defensive backs on the roster.
Here's the Browns 53-man roster. #Browns pic.twitter.com/IIxRVc4hfy
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) September 5, 2015
The full list of players released, sorted alphabetically by last name:
OL Karim Barton
QB Pat Devlin
RB Shaun Draughn
DB Landon Feichter
RB Tim Flanders
DB Kendall James
WR Darrius Jennings
OL Erle Ladson
WR Josh Lenz
WR Vince Mayle
DL Jacobbi McDaniel
OL Andrew McDonald
OL Darrian Miller
DB Robert Nelson Jr.
OL Vinston Painter
LB Hayes Pullard III
DB Joe Rankin
LB Mike Reilly
DB De’Ante Saunders
DL Dylan Wynn
Contract Terminated:
QB Thaddeus Lewis
OL Eric Olsen