The Cleveland Browns were not too full of surprises on NFL cutdown day, though one of the more interesting decisions came with regards to rookie tight end Joe Royer.
Cleveland drafted Royer in the fifth round back in April, though the tight end’s future with the franchise has been more than a little up in the air, as he has been absent from the team for months.
“For as much as the Browns have conditioned their fans to cherish draft picks, you’d think having a fifth-round pick who didn’t report to camp and doesn’t appear to be a part of the team’s plans would be a bigger story,” Ben Axelrod of Front Office Sports posted to X Sunday.
But while head coach Todd Monken refused to confirm or deny any plans the team may or may not have had for Royer during a recent media session, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reported on August 30 that the Browns are retaining Royer.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” Monken responded to a question on Saturday about whether Royer might play for the Browns in 2026.
“Placed on reserve/non-football illness: TE Joe Royer-designated for return,” Oyefusi wrote on X as part of a larger post laying out the choices Cleveland made to trim its roster to 53 players on Sunday.
Joe Royer Did Not Report to Browns’ Training Camp Due to Personal Reasons
Royer has not participated at all during training camp or the preseason, as he has been absent for personal reasons.
However, given the capital Cleveland spent to select the tight end out of Cincinnati and the four-year, $4.8 million contract to which the team signed him, the Browns have clearly decided to exercise patience while Royer works out whatever issues have kept him away from the organization.
“Joe has size, really good hands. He is a player that can produce both in the Y, which is kind of your traditional in-line role, and the F role, which is a little bit more of a receiving role,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in April. “So to have that flexibility in the room is helpful and important.”
Browns Need Strong Blocking, Pass-Catching Option at TE2 Alongside Harold Fannin Jr.
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland’s TE1 and likely starter, is an excellent pass-catcher but closer in profile to a over-sized wide receiver playing the tight end position.
So while Fannin is a willing blocker, it is important for the Browns’ offense to roster a TE like Royer who should be a more effective blocker while lined up as an extension of the offensive line and is also a threat to catch passes regardless of where he’s positioned at the snap.
A combination of Fannin and Royer, or a tight end with a similar skill set to Royer, will allow Cleveland to embrace more of the 12 and 13 personnel groupings (two- and three-tight end sets) that top NFL offenses like those of the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears began popularizing last season.
That said, the Browns named two other tight ends to the active 53-man roster alongside Fannin on Sunday: Carsen Ryan and Blake Whiteheart. Thus, if Royer doesn’t work out, the team will have options at the TE2 and TE3 positions on the depth chart.
Browns Make Final Call on Controversial Rookie Joe Royer After Missing Camp, Preseason