RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Browns to release former third-round WR after just 833 yards in three years originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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The Cleveland Browns have added some serious offensive talent over the last two NFL Draft classes. Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin, and Dylan Sampson in 2025 were a strong collection of picks.
Then in 2026, the Browns addressed their wide receiver room, adding KC Concepcion in Round 1 and Denzel Boston in Round 2. Now, with those two alongside Jerry Jeudy and second-year WR Isaiah Bond, this is a fairly set WR room.
As a result of that, their 2023 third-round WR draft pick, Cedric Tillman, was the clear odd-man out. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Browns have made their decision with Tillman: he's going to be released by Cleveland this summer.
Browns to release Cedric Tillman after three seasons
"Browns are releasing veteran WR Cedric Tillman, per sources," Schefter reports. "Cleveland spent two early 2026 draft picks on wide receivers, and now Tillman is out."
Tillman was the 74th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Browns out of Tennessee, and he hasn't been able to put it together during his time in Cleveland despite flashing potential here and there.
In his rookie season, he played in 14 games, catching 21 of 44 targets for 224 yards and no touchdowns. The next year, he caught 29 of 49 targets for 339 yards and three touchdowns in just 11 games.
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That wound up being his best season in Cleveland, as 2025 saw Tillan catch just 21 of 39 targets for 270 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games, despite getting a much larger opportunity than before as a starter.
Tillman, now that he's being released by the Browns, will have finished his career with the team that drafted him with just 833 yards and five touchdowns on 71 receptions in three seasons.
Despite showing potential at times during his career, Tillman never could put it all together. But the 26-year-old WR is surely going to find a new landing spot, as the upside is worth taking a chance on.
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