Dec 21, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) is defended by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee (23) in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Browns signing veteran S Damontae Kazee

The Cleveland Browns are signing veteran safety Damontae Kazee, multiple outlets reported Monday.

Terms were not reported.

Kazee, 31, adds depth to a safety room that saw the departures of Juan Thornhill (released) and Rodney McLeod (retired) in the offseason. The Browns did not take a safety in last month’s draft.

Kazee played the last three seasons in Pittsburgh. He had an interception and 31 tackles in 15 games (one start) in 2024.

A fifth-round draft pick of Atlanta in 2017, Kazee has 17 career INTs, seven forced fumbles and 363 tackles in 107 career games (63 starts) for the Falcons (2017-20), Dallas Cowboys (2021) and Steelers.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) is introduced before the game between the Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns GM: ‘Increasingly unlikely’ Nick Chubb returns to team

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry didn’t sound too optimistic about unsigned star running back Nick Chubb making an immediate return to the club.

The writing likely was on the wall when the Browns selected Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and Tennessee rusher Dylan Sampson in the fourth. They also recently renegotiated the contract of fellow running back Jerome Ford.

“I wouldn’t rule anything out, but I would say it’s probably increasingly unlikely,” Berry told 92.3 The Fan on Friday morning. “I’d say maybe a return is less likely, at least in the short term, with us right now.”

Berry added that “we haven’t necessarily been in strong communication after the draft.”

Chubb, 29, has played in only 10 games over the past two seasons due to knee and foot injuries. He rushed for 332 yards and three scores in eight starts in 2024.

A four-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time 1,000-yard rusher, Chubb ranks third in franchise history with 6,843 rushing yards behind Pro Football Hall of Fame members Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.

Judkins led the national champion Buckeyes with 1,060 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns last season.

Sampson, the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year last year, set school single-season records for rushing yards (1,491) and touchdowns (22).

Ford, 25, rushed for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games (six starts) last season, adding 37 catches for 225 yards.

He has 1,390 rushing yards, 544 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 44 games (18 starts) since the Browns picked him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) looks to make a pass as Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush (30) defends during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns LB Devin Bush arrested for assault

Browns linebacker Devin Bush Jr. was charged with simple assault and harassment following his arrest Sunday in Pennsylvania.

Court records reveal Bush, 26, was taken into custody by the Bell Acres Police Department in Allegheny County and given a notice to appear in court on May 20.

A 10-game starter for the Browns last season, Bush was a first-round pick by Pittsburgh out of Michigan in 2019. After four seasons with the Steelers racking up 268 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, four sacks and two interceptions, Bush played 13 games with the Seattle Seahawks in 2023.

In his first season with the Browns in 2024, Bush had 76 tackles and one sack in 16 games.

He signed a one-year deal to stay in Cleveland in March.

–Field Level Media

Dec 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (34) scores a touchdown during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Report: Browns’ Jerome Ford takes pay cut; Nick Chubb out?

Browns running back Jerome Ford accepted a pay cut Friday, perhaps signaling the end of Nick Chubb’s tenure, Cleveland.com reported.

Ford agreed to reduce his 2025 salary from $3.486 million to a guaranteed $1.75 million, according to the report.

The return of Chubb, who is unsigned, is “largely dependent on whether or not Ford accepted the pay cut or was traded to another team,” per the report.

Ford, 25, rushed for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games (six starts) last season, adding 37 catches for 225 yards.

He has 1,390 rushing yards, 544 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 44 games (18 starts) since the Browns picked him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Chubb, 29, has played in only 10 games over the past two seasons due to knee and foot injuries. He rushed for 332 yards and three scores in eight starts in 2024.

A four-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time 1,000-yard rusher, Chubb ranks third in franchise history with 6,843 rushing yards behind Pro Football Hall of Fame members Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.

The Browns selected Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft last weekend and also have Pierre Strong Jr. on the roster.

–Field Level Media

Jan 5, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) carries the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Free agents J.K. Dobbins, Elijah Moore tagged with UFA tenders

The Los Angeles Chargers applied the unrestricted free agent tender on running back J.K. Dobbins, and the Cleveland Browns did the same with wide receiver Elijah Moore, per the NFL transaction log on Tuesday.

Dobbins and Moore are free agents and remain free to sign with any team. The seldom-used UFA tender means that if they do sign elsewhere before July 22, their previous franchises will still get to count them toward the compensatory draft pick formula for 2026.

On the other hand, if they do not sign elsewhere, their previous teams will hold exclusive negotiating rights.

Moore’s tender is worth $3.43 million and Dobbins’ is about $1.1 million, according to ESPN.

Moore, 25, was on a free agent visit with the Buffalo Bills on Monday. The Browns signed veteran receiver Diontae Johnson to a one-year contract on Monday, per reports.

Moore had a career-high 61 receptions for 538 yards and one touchdown in 17 games (13 starts) for the Browns last season. In his four-year NFL career with the New York Jets (2021-22) and Browns (2023-24), Moore has amassed 200 catches for 2,162 yards and nine TDs.

Dobbins, 26, led the Chargers in rushing last season with 905 yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries. In four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens (2020, 2022-23) and Chargers, Dobbins has totaled 429 rushing attempts for 2,252 yards and 21 scores, plus 59 receptions for 330 yards and one receiving touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) reaches for an incomplete pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Report: WR Diontae Johnson joins Browns on 1-year deal

Former Pro Bowl wide receiver Diontae Johnson is set to play for his third AFC North team, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns, ESPN reported on Monday.

Johnson, 28, had an official visit with the Browns earlier on Monday. The six-year veteran split the 2024 season with the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.

Traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to Carolina in March, Johnson got off to a strong start with 30 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games. However, he was traded to the Ravens along with a 2025 sixth-round selection in exchange for Baltimore’s fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.

Johnson didn’t make an impact with the Ravens, catching one pass for six yards in four games. He also was suspended for one game for refusing to play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1.

Johnson was claimed off waivers by the Texans and appeared in one regular-season game, finishing with two catches for 12 yards. Playing just 15 snaps in a wild-card playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers, he caught his only target for 12 yards and was subsequently waived.

His odd season continued when the Ravens claimed him off waivers on Jan. 15, the day after the Texans dropped him. Depending on the contract Johnson signs as an unrestricted free agent, Baltimore has a chance at landing a compensatory pick in next year’s draft.

In six seasons, the 2019 third-round pick of the Steelers and 2021 Pro Bowl selection has 424 career receptions for 4,738 yards and 28 TDs in 89 regular-season games (75 starts) for the Steelers (2019-23), Panthers, Ravens and Texans.

–Field Level Media

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (7) practices before Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Reports: Browns won’t exercise QB Kenny Pickett’s option

Entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract, quarterback Kenny Pickett won’t have his fifth-year club option picked up by the Cleveland Browns, multiple media outlets reported on Monday.

Pickett, 26, who will make $2.623 million this coming season, is set to compete with veteran Joe Flacco and 2025 draft picks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, with Deshaun Watson out indefinitely with a right Achilles tendon injury.

Pickett’s fifth-year club option would be worth $22.117 million, per Cleveland.com.

A first-round pick (20th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last March and spent the season as Jalen Hurts’ backup. In five games (one start), Pickett completed 25 of 42 passes (59.5 percent) for 291 yards, two TDs and one interception.

In three seasons with the Steelers (2022-23) and Eagles, Pickett has 471 completions in 755 attempts (62.4 percent) for 4,765 yards, 15 TDs and 14 interceptions. He went 14-10 as a starter with Pittsburgh, then won his lone start of 2024 in place of an injured Hurts en route to a Super Bowl championship.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) passes against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders’ odds of being Browns’ QB1 higher than Dillon Gabriel’s

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said drafting two quarterbacks “wasn’t necessarily the plan” entering last weekend, but he generated the most compelling QB battle ahead of the 2025 season by doing exactly that.

The Browns accepted the intense spotlight that came with selecting Colorado’s record-setting quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round. That was 50 picks after making Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel the fifth quarterback off the board in the third round.

The rookies joined a crowded depth chart alongside veterans Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson.

Watson is in the equation by name only. He’s expected to miss the 2025 season following a second Achilles injury, and Browns owner Jimmy Haslam recently acknowledged Watson’s acquisition three years ago as a “big swing and miss.”

So out of the four remaining quarterbacks, which one is best positioned to be under center when Cleveland kicks off its 2025 regular season?

DraftKings installed Pickett as the -110 favorite. The former first-round pick by Pittsburgh was acquired from Philadelphia earlier this offseason. He has 25 career starts, including one last year, and is still only 26 years old.

That’s 14 years younger than Joe Flacco, who was signed a few weeks before the draft as somewhat of an insurance policy. He played last season in Indianapolis after coming off his couch to guide Cleveland to the playoffs in the 2023 season.

However, Flacco was installed as a +1500 longshot to open Week 1 as the Browns’ starter following the draft.

Of more intrigue is that the sportsbook is offering far shorter odds on Sanders (+175) than Gabriel (+475) to start the opener.

Both enter the NFL with a wealth of experience at the college level.

Sanders, 23, was the sixth quarterback off the board despite being named a second-team All-American last season. He also had his jersey retired — someone controversially — by Colorado after finishing his college career by completing 70.1 percent of his passes for 14,347 yards, 134 touchdowns and just 27 interceptions in 50 games at Jackson State and Colorado.

Gabriel, who is a year older at 24, led Oregon to the College Football Playoffs last year after his own statistically packed time at Oklahoma. In all, he left college with 18,722 passing yards and an FBS/Division I-A record 155 touchdowns across six seasons with UCF (three), Oklahoma (two) and Oregon.

But the Browns did think enough of Sanders to trade the 166th and 192nd overall picks to move up to halt his unexpected freefall with the 144th pick.

How Cleveland establishes the pecking order — and the plan — for its quarterback competition entering training camp promises to be one of the offseason’s juiciest storylines.

“Obviously, you may not divide (training camp reps) 25, 25, 25, 25, but we feel really confident that we’ll have a plan that is fair to each player and fair to the team as well,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said.

–Field Level Media

Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) talks to ESPN after the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

Reports: NFL investigating prank call to Shedeur Sanders

The NFL is investigating Friday’s prank call to Shedeur Sanders that purported the rookie quarterback would be drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the 40th overall pick, according to reports.

A brief video posted on social media showed Sanders taking a call from someone claiming to be Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.

“How you doing, man?” the caller asked.

“Good,” Sanders responded. “Been waiting on you.”

The caller claims the Saints will take him with their next pick, then suggests Sanders is “gonna have to wait a little bit longer.” After the call ends, Sanders appears uncertain about what just transpired.

The second-team All-American wound up waiting until the fifth round, when the Cleveland Browns drafted him with the 144th pick overall.

The primary question is how the caller obtained Sanders’ private number. He had just received the phone from Boost Mobile on behalf of the league — and only NFL personnel were supposed to have his number.

Not that Sanders seemed too concerned.

“It didn’t really have an impact on me,” Sanders told reporters Saturday. “… I think of course it was childish. Of course, I feel like it was a childish act, but everybody does childish things here and there.”

Sanders was not the only 2025 NFL Draft prospect who received a prank call. Fox Sports reported that Penn State tight end Tyler Warren received a call several picks before he was selected 14th overall by the Indianapolis Colts.

–Field Level Media

Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin (TE07) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Grading the Browns’ Draft

Grade: B

Best Pick: Harold Fannin Jr., No. 67 Overall

What We Liked: Lots of talented guys made their way onto the Browns roster through this class. It’s a very productive group that isn’t lacking in potential. Mason Graham plays with a furor that should scare opponents, the new RB duo of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson has a lot of athleticism and should create a nice one-two punch. Fannin adds a dynamic weapon to the receiving corps that can be used in a wealth of ways. The support system for whoever is playing quarterback is going to be boosted.

Not Sure About: There’s an old adage that if you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks. Forcing a Dillon Gabriel vs. Shedeur Sanders quarterback competition seems like a move that will ultimately cause distractions. It’s classic Browns, never able to quite solve the quarterback problem as they intend to, and always with more drama than necessary. Carson Schwesinger also got taken a little early for my liking, but the value at linebacker in the second round wasn’t there for anyone.

–Dean Bruce, special to Field Level Media