Coming out of the preseason opener, the Cleveland Browns are likely to analyze their roster heading into another critical week. They were fortunate to escape their 34-10 loss to the Chicago Bears on Saturday without any significant injuries, and some lesser-known players did make a good impression.
The Browns were already dealing with some depth issues at tight end. Jack Stoll did not play against the Bears, and rookie fifth-round draft pick Joe Royer has been away from the team for all of training camp because of a personal matter.
Heading toward their second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, the Browns made two roster moves at the position on Monday, adding tight end Jermaine Terry after Brenden Bates suffered an undisclosed injury against the Bears.
“We’ve signed TE Jermaine Terry and waived TE Brenden Bates with an injury designation,” the Browns posted.
We've signed TE Jermaine Terry and waived TE Brenden Bates with an injury designation
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 17, 2026
Terry, who is 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2025. He was released before last season began and spent some time with the Seattle Seahawks this spring.
Bates has been with the Browns for the past two seasons. Cleveland claimed him off the New York Jets practice squad in December 2024, and he played two games for it that season.
Last year, he was claimed off the Browns’ practice squad by the Houston Texans before rejoining the team off waivers in late October. He appeared in six games with three starts for Cleveland in 2025, making two receptions on three targets while playing 119 offensive snaps. In order to ensure they would not lose him this offseason, the Browns placed an exclusive rights free agent tender on Bates in March.
Stoll was signed as a free agent this offseason to take on a primarily blocking role alongside pass-catching tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Royer was seen as another potential receiving option after breaking Travis Kelce’s single-season record for receptions by a tight end at the University of Cincinnati.
It will be interesting to see what kind of role Terry will have on the Browns’ offense, beginning this week with a joint practice against the Bills on Thursday.
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