The dust has settled from the Cleveland Browns‘ first preseason game of the year, a 34-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. The final score doesn’t carry much weight when it comes to what Cleveland needed to learn from its preseason opener. 

Of course, the starting quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders remains the headline, and rightfully so. But with the rest of the Browns roster looking vastly different from a year ago, including an entirely new offensive line, there are roster decisions looming that go well beyond the QB1 competition.

With the roster sitting at 90 players and needing to be trimmed to 53 at the end of the preseason, the Browns are going to make moves through cuts and potential trades in a few weeks. 

Following Week 1 of the preseason, two players stand out that Cleveland would be better off trading rather than simply releasing.

Cedric Tillman’s roster spot should be slipping away

Wide receiver Cedric Tillman did not play in the preseason opener due to injury, and that’s bad news for his chances of making the final roster. At this point, Tillman is the backup X receiver behind Denzel Boston, who should rarely come off the field for the Browns this season. Boston has been Cleveland’s star of training camp on offense, and he’s going to be a big part of things in 2026.

Tillman is entering his fourth and final season on his rookie contract with the Browns, and his inability to stay healthy combined with inconsistent play on the field has him in a tough spot. Cleveland isn’t likely to give him a second contract when the time comes. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to keep him as a fourth or fifth wide receiver option when he doesn’t add much value on special teams.

The Browns could be better off moving him now to get something in return rather than watching him walk for free in free agency. If Cleveland is able to recoup a seventh-round draft pick for a player they took in the third round out of Tennessee a few years ago, that’s a win at this point. The improvements Cleveland has made at wide receiver are pushing players off the roster, and that much is clear.

Dillon Gabriel looked like the odd man out at quarterback

The second player Cleveland should look to move is quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The Browns have four quarterbacks on the roster, and they’re only going to keep three. Of the three quarterbacks who played against the Bears, Gabriel was easily the worst.

Gabriel completed 5-of-8 passes for just 23 yards and threw an interception while taking two sacks. He continues to look like a player who is simply too small to operate in the pocket. Dumping off passes is not a way to run the offense, and 23 yards on eight attempts isn’t going to cut it.

Gabriel showed the same tendencies last year, refusing to push the ball down the field. The first preseason game delivered more of the same. There’s no reason for Gabriel to make this roster or be around in Week 1, and if the Browns can find a trade partner, they should move him.