The Cleveland Browns have made a ton of moves this offseason after a terrible 2024 season. They didn't make any splashy moves in free agency but were able to add seven players in the 2025 NFL draft.
In April, they used the 67th overall pick to select Harold Fannin Jr. to bolster their passing attack. He joins David Njoku, Blake Whiteheart, and Brenden Bates in the tight end room.
That room is crowded, and after OTAs/minicamp, it will be hard for Bates to make the 53-man roster.
Brenden Bates Has Uphill Climb to Make Browns Roster
Fannin Jr. and Njoku are locks to make the team, as they are both athletic playmakers who could be a nice 1-2 punch at the position. Njoku has reeled in 351 passes (540 targets) for 3,769 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns over eight seasons in Cleveland. Meanwhile, Fannin Jr. had a productive college career at Bowling Green. In 36 collegiate games, he had 180 grabs for 2,396 yards and 17 touchdowns.
As for Whiteheart, he spent the 2024 season in Cleveland, totaling six catches for 51 yards and a score in 11 games (two starts). The Browns decided to re-sign him on a one-year deal back in March when he hit free agency.
Meanwhile, Bates was claimed off the New York Jets' practice squad in December and got a one-year deal for the 2025 season. Despite spending time in Cleveland and New York, he has failed to record a single stat.
He had a solid spring during OTAs, reeling in multiple passes in those practice sessions. Nonetheless, he's behind the eight ball and will need to have a stout summer to take the TE3 role from Whiteheart, who already has history playing in this system.
There's a good chance that Bates gets released, since Cleveland won't get hit with any dead cap hits. If they do want to do that, they could still bring him back onto the practice squad, but making the 53-man roster is shaky at best.