3 takeaways from the Browns' initial 53-man roster

The Browns released their initial 53-man roster for the 2025 season just before the team practiced on Tuesday.

They will continue to build out the 16-player practice squad, group of players that play a vital role throughout the season and serve as an additional layer of depth in the event of injuries on the active roster, over the coming days before preparation for Week 1 begins.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski noted that the moves the Browns made are not easy, speaking specifically about the decision to make K Andre Szmyt as the team's starter rather than K Dustin Hopkins. He noted that they worked through the decisions with an abundance of information to do what is right for the Browns.

After the final preseason game against the Rams and cutting down to an initial 53-man roster, here are three takeaways following the announcement on Tuesday:

Six 2025 undrafted rookies make the 53-man roster

DE Adin Huntington got a special surprise on Saturday after a two-sack performance against the Rams – he made the 53-man roster.

As an undrafted free agent, he had an uphill battle to be one of the players to carve out a roster spot. Thanks to a preseason that included 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles, Huntington made it. On Tuesday, five other undrafted free agents joined Huntington on the 53-man roster.

Wide receivers Gage Larvadain and Isaiah Bond, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, CB Dom Jones and S Donovan McMillon all made the initial Browns' roster. Except for Bond, who signed with Cleveland in August, all undrafted rookies were signed by the Browns following the 2025 NFL Draft.

Over the course of the preseason, Larvadain recorded nine receptions for 94 yards and proved to be a factor in the run game, gaining 20 yards on two carries and scoring a rushing touchdown in the first preseason game against the Panthers. Mascarenas-Arnold totaled 17 tackles, nine solo and eight assisted, in three preseason games. He led the Browns in tackles against the Eagles and Rams.

Jones tied with Mascarenas-Arnold for the lead in tackles against the Rams and recorded a tackle in every game, including three against the Panthers with a pass defensed. McMillon had 3-plus tackles in every preseason game, recording five against the Eagles and adding a pass defensed. He finished with 11 tackles and two passes defensed.

"It's been a really impressive rookie class, in terms of their preparedness, their professionalism. Each one of those guys kind of represents that they've from the jump, been about their business, have been trustworthy," Stefanski said. "We've put them in some tough spots, and they've responded. So, it's an impressive group in that regard."

Browns have three quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster

At the beginning of training camp, the Browns had four healthy quarterbacks on the roster competing for the starting job. Now, on their initial 53-man roster, they have three – Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. The fourth quarterback, QB Kenny Pickett, was traded to the Raiders on Aug. 25 for a 2026 5th-round pick.

After being named the starter on Aug. 18, Flacco played in the final preseason game on Aug. 23, recording 71 passing yards, completing 9 of his 10 attempts and passing for a touchdown. With Pickett gone, there was a question of who Flacco's backup would be between the two rookie quarterbacks. On Tuesday, Stefanski answered that question, naming Gabriel as the backup.

"It's such an all-encompassing evaluation. So, everything the guys did in the games was important," Stefanski said. "We also saw a lot of them out here in practice and how they are at their craft and (Dillon Gabriel's) certainly somebody that we think is getting better and better."

Gabriel completed 13-of-18 passes in his first NFL start against the Eagles, throwing for 143 yards. The day was complicated by Gabriel throwing a pick-six on a broken route. However, the next week, he bounced back against the Rams. Gabriel finished his second NFL game with 129 passing yards and threw his first NFL touchdown on a possession in which he led the Browns down the field with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.

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