CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Speedster receiver JoJo Natson and safety Sheldrick Redwine headline the Browns first round of roster cuts Monday according to multiple reports.
The Browns began informing players of their status Monday afternoon, meetings that head coach Kevin Stefanski dreads.
“It is really hard. It is never easy,” Stefanski said prior to news of the first cuts trickling out Monday afternoon. “In any year, it is never easy because it is also a relationship business. We spend a lot of time together. You get to know people on a personal level. From my perspective, I see them working so hard on the practice field doing everything that I have asked them to do. That is the hard part when you can’t keep everyone, but I wish that the guys that we can’t keep, I hope they catch on elsewhere.”
Redwine was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft while Natson re-signed this spring after missing most of the 2020 season to a torn ACL suffered in Week 3.
Of little surprise, the Browns will go with two quarterbacks after cutting third stringer Kyle Lauletta according to Cleveland.com. Lauletta will not be brought back to the practice squad and will sign elsewhere according to the report.
They’ll also start with three tight ends after cutting Jordan Franks and Kyle Markway leaving Austin Hooper, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant on the roster.
The Browns, like all teams, find themselves playing a complex numbers game by position.
“You have all of those conversations and you go around the depth chart, up and down, left and right,” Stefanski said. “You are just trying to keep the right 53 and then get some really good players in here on the practice squad that can help us and maybe develop and help us this season potentially.”
Rookie defensive tackle Marvin Wilson was also cut. The Browns outbid teams to land the Florida State product in the spring.
Defensive ends Curtis Weaver, Porter Gustin and Cameron Malveaux, linebackers Willie Harvey Jr. and Tegray Scales, safety Jovante Moffatt, cornerback Brian Allen did not make the team.
Offensive lineman Greg Senat will be placed on injured reserve, making him unavailable for the 2021 season according to multiple reports.
The moves did not make it on it the league’s daily transaction wire Monday afternoon but will be announced Tuesday.
Rosters must be reduced to 53 by 4 p.m. eastern Tuesday and the possibility exists EVP/GM Andrew Berry could make a trade or two to turn excess talent into future assets.
“Andrew and his staff do a great job of working the roster for 365 days. They are constantly looking at ways to upgrade, whether it is via trade or otherwise,” Stefanski said. “It is all a part of it. I told the team last night, I would love to keep everybody. I wish they relaxed those rules and we could keep everybody, but that is not the nature of this beast.”
