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Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 8/26: Twilight and Brief Stays

CLEVELAND, OHIO (TheOBR.com) - Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!

In and around Northeast Ohio, there are numerous great places to watch the sunset. I live on the East side and know a few of them, but it's hard to beat a tiny park with swinging chairs in Willoughby. At my daughter's urging, she, her beloved puppy, and my wife and I went to watch a glorious sunset over Lake Erie last night - one of the many benefits of living in the Cleveland area.

As the Sun started heading towards the lake behind the clouds, a little after 8PM, my phone started going off with news that the Browns were likely to cut DeAndre Carter. Then came the big news that Kenny Pickett had been dealt. I was forced to split the next ten minutes between my phone and the view as the OBR team rallied to post news and analysis about the move. As soon as the sun set a few minutes later, I hurried home to provide whatever little help I could.

Sunset

An August Lake Erie Sunset (Photo: Barry McBride, Real Professional Photographer)

The Browns once again proved that there was no private moment that they were above interrupting. Such is the life of a webdork. But the two competing forces —watching the sunset behind Lake Erie and being able to write about the Cleveland Browns —made me happy about my spot in the Universe.

KENNY PICKETT IS MOVED: The Browns got a fifth-round pick for the much-travelled Pickett, ending spurious fantasies that he might become the next Sam Darnold. The move provides yet more 2026 draft assets for Andrew Berry to hoard, and brings the Browns into the more normal NFL pattern of keeping three quarterbacks.

I'm not entirely crazy about it. I know that the storyline is that Dillon Gabriel's emergence makes Pickett expendable, but what I've learned in Cleveland is that our quarterbacks are eminently vulnerable to injury. Based on recent experience, the odds that the team will have to delve to the third spot on the depth chart are pretty high, and I'm not a fan of Shedeur Sanders seeing the field in 2025, despite the importance of measuring his ability against NFL-quality defensive units.

I didn't view Kenny Pickett as a potential A-grade quarterback, but rather as a backup who could keep the team competitive if starter Joe Flacco suffered an injury or struggled during the Browns' brutal early schedule. Gabriel looked pretty good in his pre-season efforts, despite an unwise interception, but I was all for having a buffer between him and starting games for the Browns.

The Browns' injury luck and Gabriel's ability against first-team defenses will prove whether my cautious approach would have been the better one.

DEANDRE CARTER LIKELY CUT: The news that the Browns appear to be moving on from KR/WR DeAndre Carter was only a mild surprise, revealing that the team is likely to keep pre-season standout Gage Larvadain. I had mentioned in this space previously that I wasn't a fan of dedicating a roster spot to Carter, as it would take away from some of the young talent the Browns have developed at the bottom of their roster.

Keeping Carter is a luxury reserved for teams confident with wide receivers one through five. The Browns are decidedly not one of those teams, and need Larvadain to do double duty as he tries to prove that he belongs on a 53-man roster. Early signs are promising, and the Browns are in a position to take some risks and develop their players in 2025. Keeping Larvadain or other young talent around at wide receiver this season is the logical move.

Have a good one! GO BROWNS!

This morning's headlines

Newswire Bloviation Archive

OBR STUFF

VIDEO

Browns 3D- Cleveland Browns closing in on first 53 man roster - (youtube.com)

ARTICLES

Cleveland Browns Expected to Release Return Specialist DeAndre Carter - Jacob

Cleveland Browns to Trade QB Kenny Pickett to Las Vegas Raiders for Draft Compensation - Pete

Trade of Kenny Pickett Makes Sense for Browns, Bodes Well for Futures of Dillon Gabriel and Sheduer Sanders - Fred

Why Both Cleveland Browns Kenny Pickett Trades Were The Logical Moves - Jack

Cleveland Browns News Headlines 8/25/25 - Barry

Shedeur Sanders is a Developmental Rookie Quarterback Its Time to Treat Him Like One - Pete

Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 8/25: Beat Writers Cant Get a Break - Barry

Grading Cleveland Browns Young Players vs. Los Angeles Rams - Jacob

FORUM POSTS

Follow-up On Judkins Question (VIP)

Developing Rookie QB's (VIP)

OT going into 2026? (VIP)

Huntington (VIP)

Gage Larvadain (VIP)

Why is it worth holding onto sanders ? (VIP)

Could Sanders performance have been worse? (VIP)

Follow Up on Sanders Performance (VIP)

Roster cuts (VIP)

Mike Hilton as Slot CB? (VIP)

Follow Up on Sanders Performance (VIP)

Judkins - can someone explain this better… (VIP)

Cuts today?

Audio: Fred Greetham on BloomdaddyWTAM (8/25/25)

OT YouTube TV

Pickett traded

OT: Favorite Berry Dessert

Hendrickson reaches deal with Bengals

Looks Like Larvadain Makes 53 Man Roster!

Chase Daniel breaks down Shadeur Sanders

Chubb to start for Texans

Joe Mixon out 4 weeks

Audio: Rams Recap with Fred on Wills and Snyder (WTAM)

Mike Hilton as Slot CB?

LiveWire Thread for 825 - Twitter, Video, Articles

THE LIFT

Positive news from the world of sports and beyond...

Just like I'm a sucker for solar events like eclipses and sunsets, I'm a sucker for photos of the Earth from distant places. It just reminds me of our infinitesimal spot in the Universe, and how lucky we all are to have our warm blue home in the midst of the vastness. You Are Here -->

NASA's Psyche asteroid probe beams home haunting view of distant Earth (photo) - (space.com)

WRAPPING UP

*When not idly burning his eyeballs staring at the Sun, Barry McBride is the Publisher and Founder of the OBR and bloviates this nonsense every morning. You can follow him on Twitter @barrymcbride or write him at barry@theobr.com if you are so compelled. *

CONTACT Barry to sponsor the OBR. We have plans for nearly any budget!

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