It’s time! Cleveland Browns training camp. The rookies have reported, and next Tuesday, July 28, the veteran players will report.
No more excursions to the local Chinese buffet. No more homemade key lime pie from the local bakery or grocery store. No more telling the team nutritionist that they were sure that crab legs and fried wings from Popeye’s were on their dietary plan.
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The running is about to begin. Eventually, the pads will go on, and the hitting
will become the norm. Right now, it is 90 players in camp. Before Week 1, that number will become 53 players with 16 on the practice squad, plus one more guy as an international prospect.
These weeks in camp will determine who will start, who will become the backups, and who will be sent along their way.
Quite a few positional battles every single day. Here are three that most folks aren’t talking about.
QB Dillon Gabriel vs. QB Taylen Green
The biggest headline during this year’s training camp is Deshaun Watson against Shedeur Sanders for who will be the starting quarterback in 2026. But the QB3 slot will eventually be ironed out as well.
Some say that Gabriel should somehow slide in between Watson and Sanders and be a candidate for the starting job, but most likely, he will receive very few first-team reps. The coaching staff has full attention on both Watson and Sanders for the Week 1 starter, with the loser listed as the backup.
Gabriel (5’-11”, 205 pounds) started six games for the Browns in his rookie season and went 1-5-0. He tossed 185 passes with 110 completions for 937 yards and a 59.5% completion ratio. He was able to connect on 45 first-down conversions with seven TD passes and only two interceptions. As a runner, Gabriel had 14 attempts for 86 yards, converted four first-down conversions, and did not score.
His competitor in camp will be rookie Taylen Green from Arkansas. Right off, Green’s 6’6” height is a huge asset for an NFL quarterback, but he is a lean 227 pounds. He runs like a gazelle and simply glides. Very shifty runner, plenty of juke moves, and can move the team down the field with his legs.
In his senior year alone, Green had 777 rushing yards. That number is the envy of plenty of college running backs. For his college career, he had 459 carries. Marinate on that for a second. Almost 500 times rushing the ball – for a quarterback. He finished his college career with 2,405 rushing yards and scored 35 rushing touchdowns. An amazing athlete carrying the ball who was clocked at 4.36 and had a vertical jump of 43.5 inches.
So, why was Green drafted in Round 6? Now for the gloomy news. He is a below-average passer. Rated 67% on his short passes. Average release speed because of an elongated throwing motion. His intermediate accuracy is horrible, especially when rushed. Green does not know when to leave the pocket or throw the ball away and live another down.
And he is a turnover machine. He fumbled 18 times during his college years, plus had 35 interceptions.
Now, he had huge career numbers: 9,662 passing yards, 198 completions on 326 attempts, a decent 60.1% completion ratio, and tossed 59 touchdowns while playing in 53 games.
Both quarterbacks were invited and participated in the Senior Bowl. Gabriel left practice week as viewed the most NFL-ready quarterback. Green left game week displaying his accuracy skills may never be right.
The fight for backup TE
After a sterling rookie season, TE Harold Fannin appears to become a much more utilized component in newly-hired Todd Monken’s offense. He was a receiving machine while in college, and continued that trend when he hit the NFL.
Monken’s offense will use quite a few multiple tight-end sets. 12 personnel will become a mainstay just like when he was the OC with the Baltimore Ravens. Most likely, Blake Whiteheart might cement that second tight end spot, although that isn’t a given.
Monken used quite a bit of trey sets as well, where one tight end will line up like a fullback between the offensive line and the QB, while the other tight end is in the slot right beside a receiver, who is positioned outside – all on the same side.
But 13 personnel will be on the field quite a bit as well. Monken wants to run the ball, and that takes blockers. Tight ends are simply extensions of the offensive line. There are plenty of candidates who will fight for the third tight end spot. The Browns should keep four TEs on the final roster and currently have six in camp.
Jack Stoll (6’-4”, 247 pounds)
Arguably, the best blocking tight end on the roster. This may give him the edge if the Browns’ running game is successful. He hasn’t been asked to catch many passes in his five seasons in the league. 41 targets with 28 receptions, nine first-down conversions, and one touchdown is nothing to write grandma about. But again, he is a blocker and excels at it.
Joe Royer (6’-5”, 240 pounds)
This rookie has been mentioned as a possible competitor for Whiteheart’s TE2 spot. He has great hands and has what it takes to become that second tight end Monken will need to run his offense. Royer has drawn Travis Kelce comparisons.
This kid shows exceptional body control and spatial awareness. He can contort his body and catch poorly-thrown passes. He creates good separation on intermediate throws and will run angry after the catch. Royer also gives the offense good YAC numbers.
Brenden Bates (6’-5”, 255 pounds)
Bates is now the veteran presence in this group, having played two seasons. Like Stoll, he offers the offense simply one thing: blocking abilities. He has just six targets with four catches for 48 yards, and is a reliable blocker.
Carsen Ryan (6’-3”, 255 pounds)
This is the Wild Card in the group. If Ryan comes into camp and shows his excellent pass-catching abilities, he could see a lot of TE3 looks or even become the receiving pairing with Fannin in 12 personnel groupings. He is a sixth-round draft pick for a reason.
Excellent versatility and his work ethic is unmatched. High character. He finished with a 75.3 Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade in 2025.
Ryan offers discipline, toughness, and balance. He reflects persistence, adaptability, and a deep football foundation. He offers versatility in that he can play in-line, off the line of scrimmage, run blocking, and has receiving abilities. Very competitive with high energy. Browns fans will love this kid, but he needs to show out early and often.
S Donovan McMillon vs. S Daniel Thomas
Typically, the Browns only keep four safeties, although one year they kept five when Joe Woods was the defensive coordinator and utilized the 4-2-5 consistently. He inserted a safety for one of the linebackers.
Obviously, SS Grant Delpit and FS Ronnie Hickman are the starting safeties this year. But behind them are several guys who will be called upon for lots of playing time.
Rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was taken in Round 2 and will solidify that third position. But who will man the fourth spot? Currently, Cleveland has seven safeties in camp: Donovan McMillan, Daniel Thomas, Zion Washington, and Chris Edmonds.
Our money is on a McMillon-Thomas bout. Whoever wins this will earn that fourth roster spot, play quite a bit on special teams in punt/kickoff coverage, and earn plenty of defensive reps.
Thomas (5’-10”, 215 pounds) entered the league in 2020 as a fifth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He signed with Cleveland during this year’s free agency period and was given a two-year deal worth $3 million. This means he expects to stay a while. He has played in 83 NFL games with 94 career tackles, 0 sacks, 1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, 3 batted passes, 0 pressures, 5 missed tackles, 556 defensive snaps, and 1,417 special teams snaps.
McMillon (6’-2”, 203 pounds) came to the Browns on the same train as Hickman, as an undrafted rookie free agent. He won a roster spot last year on sheer grit and determination and is known as a fierce hitter. He played in all 17 games last year with 15 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit, 1 sack, 0 missed tackles, and 1 pressure. He had 24 defensive reps with 310 special teams snaps.
Who can forget McMillon’s sack last year on Miami Dolphins QB Quinn Ewers?
What roster battles are you looking forward to during Browns training camp?
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