Roster moves in the NFL can sometimes take a while to be completed, but on Tuesday, a transaction involving the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints officially locked in.
The Browns announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed wide receiver Bub Means to their practice squad.
It’s not a trade with the Saints, but it does feel like a swap of sorts after New Orleans previously added discarded Browns wideout Cedric Tillman to their practice squad.
Tillman went from the Browns to the Saints, and coincidentally, Means went from the Saints to the Browns.
We’ve signed WR Bub Means and DE Nadame Tucker to the practice squad, and released WR Bryce Oliver and P Wes Pahl from the practice squad
📰 » https://t.co/Ooh9go0PZw pic.twitter.com/uOgLnC2XBi
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 8, 2026
What To Know About Bub Means Leaving Saints For Browns
Means wasn’t going to be a part of the Saints’ 53-man roster, which made him available to other teams.
The Browns, in part having created an opening by cutting Tillman, decided that Means was a guy they wanted to bring aboard.
On paper, it could be considered an upgrade that the Saints moved out Means and brought in Tillman, but the Browns are clearly believers in what Means can do.
Means is still just 25 years old after a wandering college career that included Tennessee, Louisiana Tech and Pittsburgh.
The Saints took Means in the fifth round of the 2024Â NFLÂ Draft, and he made a few key plays as a rookie that year.
In seven games in 2024, Means had nine catches for 118 yards and a touchdown.
The problem started for Means when he was hurt in November 2024 and missed the rest of his rookie season.
The Saints then placed him on injured reserve again in August of 2025, and he sat out the entire 2025 campaign.
That means that Means hasn’t played meaningfully NFL football in nearly two years.
Means stuck with the Saints through the preseason before they discarded him.
The Saints still have Chris Olave, Devaugh Vele, Bryce Lance and Barion Brown on the active roster. They also have first-round rookie Jordyn Tyson out injured, and they have WR Mason Tipton on the PUP list.
The Saints have also had as many as four wideouts on the practice squad in the lead-up to Week 1, so they aren’t lacking for receiver depth.
The Browns have a good amount of wideout talent, too, although it skews younger with rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. Still, the Browns are looking toward the future, and Means is a logical swing to take.
What Is Bub Means’ Real Name?
This is really what everyone in Cleveland probably wants to know.
Bub Means’ real name is Jerrod Means.
He actually got the nickname because his childhood belly button looked like a bubble, so the “bub” root there started to work its way into various nicknames until Bub stuck.
And now he’s overcome the belly button adversity to make it to the NFL.
Saints WR Officially Signs With Browns in Pseudo-Swap With Cedric Tillman