The Cleveland Browns delayed their decision as long as they could, but they now have four guards on their 53-man roster. It’s a move rarely seen in the NFL, but the Browns clearly felt it was the best thing for the organization.
Cleveland was able to redeem itself for a while in late August when Dillon Gabriel was placed on injured reserve. But the Browns opened a 21-day practice window just as the minimum four-week IR requirement expired, and time was running out.
So on Monday, Gabriel was placed back on the active roster instead of going back on IR, which would have kept him out for the entire season. With Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and rookie Taylen Green also at quarterback, Cleveland waived rookie Karsen Ryan to make room.
Interestingly, those tricks have something to do with Green, who has yet to play in the NFL, and analyst Nick Pedone said he was impressed with the Browns’ latest roster move.
“I think that explains it all, they didn’t want to give up on Tylen Green. They didn’t want to expose him to claims. That’s fascinating to me. I know he’s just been an emergency QB3, but the idea of him dealing with the gadget package has been on the agenda for a long time, and he might be a QB2 at some point, and we won’t see that for a year. 10 games to go, 5-2, an active AFC playoff picture, and you have four quarterbacks said Pedone.
“They didn’t want to give up on Taylen Green. They didn’t want to expose him to allegations. That’s interesting to me.”
➡️ Four quarterbacks on the #Browns with @NickPedone12 w/ @SportsBoyTony and can Green still play a role as a boost for Cleveland… pic.twitter.com/ac44QtGq41
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 27, 2026
Green has been an intriguing, mysterious figure ever since Cleveland took him with the No. 182 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. An incredible athlete who lacked the finer points of a fighter’s game, he was seen as a valuable developmental project with great upside.
Given that potential, the Browns didn’t want to waive him and put him on the practice squad on cut day for fear of being claimed by another team despite being passed over multiple times by everyone in the draft. Then, despite not even using him with a gadget play or two in seven games this season, Cleveland still doesn’t want to risk losing him to accommodate Gabriel, who is recovering from a back injury in the final preseason game.
With the Browns as legitimate playoff contenders and in first place in the AFC North, one could reasonably argue that the roster spot could be better used for a contributing player. But Cleveland sees more value in Green and Gabriel than a special team backup.
“I think the Tylen Green thing sounded fun and creative at the beginning of the year when we thought we were going 3-14. But now you’re 5-2. As soon as you get down there (in the red zone), you get touchdowns,” host Anthony Lima said.
Maybe one day, when Green impresses Cleveland with his strong arm and great speed, this will all make sense, but for now, it’s an interesting situation.
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