Whenever promising new players join an NFL team, that undoubtedly means someone else is on the way out. There is a 53-man roster limit, and there are only so many snaps to go around.
The Cleveland Browns made two significant additions to their wide receivers this offseason, selecting KC Concepcion in the first round and Denzel Boston in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The rookies lived up to that status with impressive performances during minicamps and OTAs.
With each of them emerging as likely regulars, if not starters, that means other receivers from last year’s team may be in jeopardy. Veteran Jerry Jeudy likely isn’t going anywhere, but the same can’t be said for Cedric Tillman.
Insider Mary Kay Cabot said the Browns wide receiver is likely fighting for his roster spot, as Boston seems poised to take over Tillman’s role as Cleveland’s big receiver.
“It looks to me like perhaps the writing could be on the wall for Ced Tillman right now with the drafting of KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. He has a similar body type to Denzel Boston. They’re the contested catch guys that you’ve got to go down there, and you’ve got to squeeze yourself in between two defenders and grab that football. And Denzel is really, really good at that. So he’s moved ahead of Ced Tillman for that job. Ced’s going to have to really, really come on strong in training camp to make this roster. If he can’t do that, then they will try to trade him somewhere in August. They will try to look around and see if they can’t find someone that would be willing to give them something for Ced Tillman,” Cabot said.
Boston has been named by many as Cleveland’s best player during the spring practices. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he has shown tremendous hands with a huge catching radius while always running smooth routes at every level of the field.
It is the kind of performance the Browns hoped to be getting from Tillman, who showed flashes of that potential during his three seasons after he was a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, injuries have limited him to 38 games over that span, including just 13 last season when he dealt with a hamstring injury and his latest concussion.
The 26-year-old had just 21 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns last season, when the Browns’ wide receivers as a group ranked last in the league in all three categories. Despite playing more than 30 offensive snaps in each of the final three games, Tillman was targeted just four times by quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The Browns may try to find a taker for Tillman on the trade market, but if they are unable to do so, it seems unlikely he’ll make this year’s roster, barring an injury to someone else.
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