The Cleveland Browns made their initial roster cut downs on Sunday, trimming the team to 53 players. But those players who survived that first wave of waives are not necessarily safe. That’s because this roster clearly has big holes, and with the No. 6 slot on the waiver wire on Monday, the Browns are positioned to address some weaknesses.
There is no bigger weakness than what the team has at tight end now, and the expectation is that the Browns will address that on Monday. As things stand, Harold Fannin will be the starter after a stellar rookie season, and veteran blocker Blake Whiteheart is probably set, too, as the second tight end. But seventh-round pick Carsen Ryan, who has also been playing fullback, is the TE3 at this point, and that’s not a great situation for the Browns.
There will be other spots that need addressing, and perhaps the Browns won’t make tight end their first priority, but it does seem certain that they will add somebody at the position on Monday or Tuesday.
Browns ‘Almost Certain’ to Add Tight End
As Browns beat writer Zac Jackson put it on Twitter/X, “The Browns will almost certainly add to the TE group over the next couple days. Could be shuffling / additions at corner and on the defensive line, too.”
Indeed, the Browns have had concerns about depth defensively all spring and summer, but tight end figures to get some special attention. New coach Todd Monken likes to use multiple tight ends in his offense, but the personnel is just not there now. Monken also likes to use a fullback, and veteran Michael Burton made the initial roster despite not being healthy throughout training camp.
It’s also important because starting quarterback Deshaun Watson has shown he has difficulty with deep balls in training camp, and it’s reasonable to expect he will rely on his tight end group as an outlet frequently. Fannin went for 72 catches, 731 yards and six touchdowns last season. Whiteheart had two catches for four yards last season and has eight catches in a three-year career.
Joe Royer Absence Hurt Depth
The Browns’ situation at tight end has been complicated by the absence of Joe Royer for an undisclosed personal reason. Royer has missed all of training camp and was placed on the non-football injury list, which means he can still come back to the team. But with no practices all summer, it is unlikely he will be useful in 2026, at least in the first month of the season.
The Browns had high hopes for Royer, and liked his versatility out of Cinicnnati, where he recorded 29 catches for 416 yards and four touchdowns.
After the draft, Browns GM Andrew Berry said of Royer: “Joe has size, really good hands. He is a player that can produce both in the Y, which is kind of your traditional inline role, and the F role, which is a little bit more of a receiving role. So to have that flexibility in the room is helpful and important. So he was the guy that we liked, we felt was there for the value and we’re happy to add him to the team.”
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