Team news: Cleveland Browns | Page 2

The Browns are signing second-round rookie running back Quinshon Judkins to a four-year contract worth $11.4 million, fully guaranteed.

After a whirlwind offseason involving Judkins, all 257 draft picks are now signed. Judkins was arrested during the offseason on a misdemeanor battery charge. On August 14, those charges were dropped as the Broward County State Attorney’s Office decided not go forward with the charges. The NFL investigation is still ongoing. Judkins can now finally practice after missing all of the preseason. He clearly won’t play Sunday against the Bengals, leaving Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson to lead the charge. Depending on how he practices next week, he could play in Week 2 against the Ravens.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes Quinshon Judkins will return to the team soon.

"I believe Judkins will be back with the Browns soon, possibly even sometime this week as they prepare for the Bengals."

Related players: Dylan Sampson, Jerome Ford

Judkins, of course, was dealing with domestic violence and battery charges that were eventually dropped, but the NFL is still weighing potential punishment. Kabot even said if he makes it back early enough, he could contribute some in the opener. It's hard to imagine Judkins would get a heavy workload, but his return for fantasy is at least good news for owners who took a chance on him. It does muddy the waters with Sampson and Ford also in the picture in the backfield, but given Judkins draft capital, one would think he'd be poised to lead the way in the backfield once he's up to speed.

Browns Stefanski said Dillon Gabriel is the backup quarterback.

Related players: Shedeur Sanders, Joe Flacco

This shouldn't come as a shock based on the way the Browns treated their QB rotation. The team's QB saga is over for now with the trading of Kenny Pickett. Deshaun Watson should be out for a most of this season, but things will again get interesting once Watson is cleared to play.

A year ago, the New York Jets wanted Malachi Corley so much that they traded up and selected him with the first pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.

On Tuesday, they cut him, a source confirmed to ESPN.

There were jobs available in the Jets' receiving corps, but Corley was leapfrogged by a handful of players, including rookie free agents. He played 53 offensive snaps in the preseason, fifth among the New York receivers, but managed only one catch for 8 yards. He also returned four kickoffs for 101 yards, the story said.

Browns released veteran kicker Dustin Hopkins.

Related players: Andre Szmyt

The Browns will go with Szmyt as their kicker to start the 2025 season.

Browns are sending QB Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders, per sources.

Related players: Geno Smith, Aidan O'Connell, Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel

As Schefter summarized, the Raiders needed another backup for Smith with O'Connell fracturing his wrist in the preseason finale and being expected to miss 6-8 weeks. As for the Browns, they had a logjam at the position so it makes sense Pickett would be the one moved. Now the Browns will need to settle their QB depth chart behind starter Flacco.

Yes, Browns running back Quinshon Judkins could still be suspended, even though he won’t face criminal charges arising from recent allegations of domestic violence.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that the Browns and the 36th overall pick in the 2025 draft have yet to reach an agreement. They possibly won’t until the NFL has concluded its internal investigation.

Related players: Dylan Sampson, Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr.

This implies that an investigation will happen, which is normal practice even when criminal charges aren’t pursued, the story said. The other complicating factor is that Judkins is in line for a fully-guaranteed contract, according to the story. The story added, Judkins’s only leverage at this point is to sit out the season and re-enter the draft. The story went to ponder, if he doesn’t sign a contract until next year, would any suspension be served based on games missed this year. From a fantasy standpoint, those who drafted Sampson look like they may profit off this situation, especially if Judkins opts to sit out and re-enter the draft. Ford would likely be a big contributor in the offense as well, assuming Judkins isn't a part of it.

The Browns are naming QB Joe Flacco as their starter, the end of a training camp competition that never really was.

Flacco quickly emerged as QB1, while the others battled injuries. The player who led them to the playoffs in 2023 is back.

Related players: Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel

This isn't really shocking news. The thing to watch will now be how the rest of the QBs align behind Flacco as we get closer to the season. Both Sanders and Gabriel didn't look bad in their preseason games in Weeks 1 and 2, but both have dealt with injuries. The team has a lot of options, and this will need to sort itself out by the start of the season. The Browns Week 3 preseason game could go a long way to determine the rest of the order.

The Browns are starting Dillon Gabriel at quarterback in Saturday’s preseason game against the Eagles.

Gabriel missed the first preseason week with hamstring tightness but returned to practice this week. Gabriel should see plenty of work Saturday as fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders suffered an oblique injury this week and will miss the game. Kenny Pickett (hamstring) is working his way back but has not yet participated in team drills. Joe Flacco and Tyler Huntley are the other healthy quarterbacks in Cleveland.

Former Texas WR Isaiah Bond announces he has signed with the Browns.

Related Players: Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash, Jerry Jeudy, Diontae Johnson, DeAndre Carter

After legal issues factored into the former Texas receiver going undrafted, the case was "no-billed", meaning no further criminal charges will be faced, and he's heading to Cleveland. The script writes itself sometimes.

The speedy receiver spent a lot of time in the slot in Alabama before wrapping up his career as an outside burner in Austin. If he makes the Browns' final roster, he'll fight for a rotational role in the WR room.