It will be an action-packed day in the NFL as the Cleveland Browns and the other 31 teams will all be required to cut their roster to 53 players by 4 PM EST today. That will then be followed up by a flurry of practice squad signings tomorrow, and we will get our first real glimpse of what the Week 1 roster will look like.
The #Browns are NOT releasing WR/returner Deandre Carter.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 26, 2025
The first slightly surprising move happened Tuesday morning when Mary Kay Cabot broke that the Browns would NOT be releasing return specialist DeAndre Carter on Tuesday. Carter brings a skillset that has not been in Cleveland the last few years, but with some of the young guys playing really well in the preseason, it surprises me that they kept a spot for someone who won't produce as a wide receiver.
What does this mean for everyone else in the wide receiver room? With four guys safe based on contract structure (Jeudy, Tillman, Thrash, and Bond), there is a chance that only one of Diontae Johnson, Gage Larvadain, and Kaden Davis will make this roster. Davis has always been on the outside looking in, but with Larvadain looking capable of returning kicks in the preseason, I fully expected that he would have earned his spot.
Remember, with trading Kenny Pickett last night, that does free up a spot that wasn't always expected. While it's uncommon for a team to keep 7 wide receivers, the Browns have more flexibility now that they don't need to protect four quarterbacks today. Even with the Browns keeping 7 receivers today, that can always change, and players could be shifted to the practice squad.
Who knows, there could be other surprise cuts among NFL teams, and the Browns could look to add a veteran receiver, and none of the trio of Johnson, Larvadian, or Davis will make this roster.