The Cleveland Browns roster is far from finished as the regular season approaches, and one name surfacing in trade conversations is wide receiver Cedric Tillman. Entering his fourth season out of Tennessee after being selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, Tillman has battled injuries throughout his career, appearing in only 38 of a possible 51 games since entering the league. His 2025 season produced 21 receptions for 270 yards and 2 touchdowns across 13 games, numbers that reflect a role player rather than a true difference maker in the passing attack. With Cleveland building out its receiver room through both free agency and this year’s draft class, Tillman now finds himself buried on a depth chart that looks much different than it did when he first arrived.
Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox explained why Tillman fits the profile of a player who could be dealt before the roster cutdown deadline.
“Entering his fourth season, Cedric Tillman is expendable in Cleveland. The Browns have a lead veteran receiver and high upside young talent behind him on the depth chart, which leaves little room for Tillman to contribute on a week to week basis. While he’s shown flashes here and there, the 26 year old has missed 13 games because of injuries,” Moton wrote.
Jerry Jeudy remains the established veteran presence on the outside, while rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston have generated buzz throughout camp for the kind of playmaking ability that immediately pushes them up depth chart. Harold Fannin Jr. has also emerged as a breakout candidate at tight end, further crowding the pass-catching options that Todd Monken and his offensive staff have to choose from on a weekly basis. Tillman, who flashed potential in stretches during his first three seasons, simply has not been able to stay on the field consistently enough to lock down a significant role, and that durability question becomes a real factor when a front office is deciding which contracts and roster spots to keep.
Andrew Berry and the front office have shown a willingness in recent years to make aggressive moves both to acquire and to move on from players who no longer fit the timeline of the roster, and a receiver room that now features more depth than it has in years puts Tillman in a difficult spot.
The Browns clearly believe their revamped group gives Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders, whoever wins the starting job, more explosive options than they had a year ago, and that belief is now putting pressure on veterans like Tillman to either prove their worth in the final weeks of camp or accept a role that continues to shrink.
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