A rundown of the Cleveland Browns roster moves to bring the team to the 53-man limit:
Most significant move: The Browns released quarterbacks Thaddeus Lewis and Pat Devlin Saturday, leaving two on the roster: Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel. That could indicate that Manziel’s elbow is progressing “on schedule,” as Mike Pettine said Friday. The Browns liked what they saw of Devlin in the little time they had him, so he could be a candidate for their practice squad. It would make sense that the team takes a close look at the waiver wire to see what other veteran quarterbacks might be available. Even if the team is confident in Manziel’s elbow for the short-term, that can be an issue that lingers.
Don’t expect Tebow: I would not expect the Browns to consider Tim Tebow as a third quarterback. Chip Kelly was blunt in assessing Tebow when he said he simply was not good enough to be the Eagles' third quarterback. If he’s not good enough to be the Eagles’ third, he’s not good enough to be on a team where the No. 2 has an elbow issue.
No targets, no receptions: Terrelle Pryor made the 53-man despite not even having a pass thrown to him during preseason. Clearly this is a choice made on potential and also illustrates how devoid the Browns are of playmakers. They kept a guy who has never played receiver based on what he might do rather than what he did. The team also tipped its hand about Pryor by having him take quarterback snaps and run the read-option in the final preseason game. It’s possible the Browns could use Pryor as the third quarterback.
Receiver choices: The Browns let a guy go they liked very much in Josh Lenz. Lenz received high praised from coaches and teammates throughout camp, but with Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel and Travis Benjamin, the team didn’t need another small wideout. The Browns also cut their fourth-round draft pick, Vince Mayle. Mayle struggled through camp and preseason; it would not be at all surprising to see him wind up on the practice squad.
What’s next: This roster is far from complete. The Browns will scan the waiver wire in three areas. They will see if an attractive backup quarterback becomes available. They will look for more help for offensive line depth -- though the agent for released tackle Andrew McDonald posted on Twitter that McDonald will be back on the 53 soon. The Browns will have to make another move; they can’t go into the season with six offensive linemen. The other area might be at running back. There was a lot of buzz that the team took calls about trading Terrance West, but he wound up on the team. ProFootballTalk.com also reported that the team badly wants to add a veteran running back.
Browns moves: Released QB Pat Devlin, QB Thad Lewis, RB Shaun Draughn, RB Timothy Flanders, WR Darius Jennings, WR Josh Lenz, WR Vince Mayle, OL Karim Barton, OL Andrew McDonald, OL Erle Ladson, OL Darrian Miller, OL Eric Olsen, OL Vinston Painter, DL Dylan Wynn, DL Jacobbi McDaniel, LB Hayes Pullard III, LB Mike Reilly, DB Landon Feichter, DB Kendall James, DB Robert Nelson Jr., DB Joe Rankin, DB De'Ante Saunders.