The Cleveland Browns have quietly shuffled a lot of pieces throughout the 2025 offseason. While all of the headlines are understandably around the team's quarterback competition, it appears the front office is doing everything reasonably possible to leave last season's misery behind. This includes consistent depth moves with the latest being waiving kicker Andre Szmyt to make room to sign receiver Jaelen Gill. Moving away from Szmyt makes sense when you consider the team's options at kicker.
Dustin Hopkins has given the position stability, and there are superior backups the Browns could lean on if things were to go unexpectedly awry. For Szmyt, it is an expected setback with the kicker clearly one of the easy cuts on the team's current roster. Bringing us to Gill's potential role with the franchise as we head into the summer. The receiver is a familiar piece for Cleveland, having spent a portion of last season with the Browns' practice squad.
Browns Latest Move Is Unlikely to Impact the Team's Active Roster
Gill was first signed out of Fresno State as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Chargers. The pass catcher wasn't able to make the team's roster and would land on the Cleveland practice squad. Re-signing the young receiver as a project player isn't a bad move for the franchise. With the question mark at quarterback and at the bottom of the receiver depth chart, it is a chance for the young player to earn his way into a bigger role.
If Gill can find chemistry with whoever wins Cleveland's starting job, there is a slight chance the receiver makes the roster. However, there isn't a path to the undrafted free agent making it into the team's starting lineup. There simply isn't the talent, and the Browns have the benefit of established veterans at the position.
The receiver's ceiling is going to be taking the final roster spot at the position for the Browns. It seems the more likely way that this plays out is Gill returning to the Browns' practice squad and providing additional depth as the receiver continues to attempt to find a path into the league.