With NFL training camps kicking off in July, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 NFL teams. Nick Shook has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the AFC North.
Catch up on the Cleveland Browns' offseason developments and 2025 outlook below.
Training Camp Dates/Information
- Players report: July 18 (rookies); July 22 (veterans)
- Location: CrossCountry Mortgage Campus | Berea, Ohio (fan information)
Notable Roster Changes
| 2025 Draft class | Selection |
|---|---|
| Mason Graham, DT, Michigan | Round 1 (No. 5 overall) |
| Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA | Round 2 (No. 33 overall) |
| Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State | Round 2 (No. 36 overall) |
| Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green | Round 3 (No. 67 overall) |
| Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon | Round 3 (No. 94 overall) |
| Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee | Round 4 (No. 126 overall) |
| Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado | Round 5 (No. 144 overall) |
Preseason Schedule
- Week 1: at Carolina Panthers | 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 8
- Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles | 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 16
- Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams | 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 23
2025 Schedule Note
- Cleveland is one of just three teams (along with New Orleans and Tennessee) without a prime-time game on the schedule.
-- NFL Research
What You Need To Know
1) The abject failure that was the Deshaun Watson trade has set back the Browns multiple years and forced their front office to patch together a quarterbacks room that includes two rookies (third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders), Kenny Pickett (who is on his third team in as many years) and a reunion with 40-year-old Joe Flacco. Pickett seems to be the leader entering camp, but none inspire much confidence. With Watson still recovering from an Achilles tear (and subsequent complication), it appears his time in Cleveland is over, leaving the starting job open to the winner of a training camp battle royal waged among Pickett, Flacco, Gabriel and Sanders. It's a fascinating concept to witness during a period in which games don't count and the most valuable currency is practice reps. But don't be surprised if all four see the field during this season, a sign of the troubles that could await this team.
2) In 2024, Nick Chubb made a valiant (and much celebrated) return from a gruesome knee injury suffered early in 2023, but looked noticeably slower on the field last season. A foot injury ended his comeback effort prematurely and ultimately, his time with the Browns altogether. Cleveland spent draft picks on Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins and Tennessee's Dylan Sampson in an attempt to rebuild a running backs room that had become rather transient behind Chubb, then let the franchise hero leave for a one-year deal with Houston, officially ending his reign in Cleveland. Browns fans will remember those years fondly, but that's all they are now, history. 2025 will be all about finding a new bell cow in the Browns' backfield.
3) With no clear answer at quarterback at this time and a low ceiling of expectation for every candidate, it's clear the Browns will not be a traveling fireworks show offensively in 2025. They've been here before, though. Cleveland owned a middle-of-the-road offense in 2023 while cycling through five starting quarterbacks and leaning on an off-the-couch Flacco to keep them afloat. The Browns won 11 games on the back of the league's best defense and reached the playoffs for only the third time since the franchise was revived in 1999. But the challenge will be greater for them in 2025. Yes, Myles Garrett remains with the team after signing a record-setting four-year, $160 million extension, but the rest of the unit includes plenty of unproven contributors, including two rookies in defensive tackle Mason Graham (the fifth-overall pick of the 2025 draft) and linebacker Carson Schwesinger. The latter will be expected to fill the void left by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's neck injury suffered in 2024, which is a tall task – and will only make defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's job more demanding.
