The Cleveland Browns made 20 player moves on Saturday, trimming their roster to the NFL-mandated 53 players. Here's a closer look at the final cuts:
Most significant move: Obviously the trade of cornerback Justin Gilbert, one of the Browns two first-round picks in the 2014. (The other No. 1 that year: Johnny Manziel.) Gilbert was former coach Mike Pettine's choice for the first draft choice of his era, and was taken eighth overall with high hopes. His rookie season was a washout and the Browns signed 32-year-old corner Tramon Williams for 2015 because of it. Gilbert's second season was not much better. This preseason, new coach Hue Jackson talked up Gilbert, but his play never matched the talk. That the Browns got a sixth-round pick for Gilbert in 2018 and that they traded him within the division speaks to where he was with the team that drafted him.
Most significant non-move: Josh McCown remains the backup quarterback. His position seemed tenuous from the day the Browns signed Robert Griffin III, but he enters the season solidly on the roster. The Browns had feelers about trading McCown but wanted far more than teams were willing to give for a 37-year-old. The more important factor is that McCown is insurance in case Griffin does not take steps forward or is hurt. The risk is that both Griffin and McCown have been injury-prone, and behind them is rookie Cody Kessler, who struggled in preseason games.
Mild surprise: The most notable player released was receiver Taylor Gabriel, mainly because he had looked good in the final weeks of preseason. But when a team drafts four receivers for a new coach, the holdover is in a tough spot. And when a team has a guy like Andrew Hawkins on the roster, a guy who knows the new coach well, Gabriel's spot became even more tenuous. This was a classic case of a guy who was caught in the sea change of a numbers game and coaching change.
Suspended pair: Wide receiver Josh Gordon and defensive end Armonty Bryant will be suspended for the first four games of the season. They do not count toward the 53-man limit. Gordon should be back for Week 5 against New England, but Bryant is also being investigated for possible violations of the NFL's substance-abuse and personal-conduct policies. His suspension is for using PEDs.
Punter change: Michael Palardy is listed as the punter, but that will change when the Browns officially announce the signing of Britton Colquitt.
More moves ahead: All 14 draft picks made the Browns' roster. First round through seventh, Corey Coleman through Scooby Wright III, are on the final 53. The Browns kept Seth DeValve over Connor Hamlett (look for Hamlett to be a practice-squad priority) and kept cornerback Trey Caldwell, who missed most of camp and all of the games to a hamstring injury. That might change in the next few days, though, as the Browns figure to be among the more active teams in picking up players other teams released.
Browns moves: Traded CB Gilbert to Pittsburgh for a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft. Terminated the contract of WR Moore. Waived DL Kenton Adeyemi, DL Chigbo Anunoby, DB Pierre Desir, RB Jahwan Edwards, DB Mikell Everette, OL Dan France, WR Taylor Gabriel, DB Charles Gaines, OL Garth Gerhart, TE Connor Hamlett, TE J.P. Holtz, WR Darius Jennings, OL Kaleb Johnson, OL Mike Matthews, LB Jason Neill, DB Eric Patterson, P Kasey Redfern and LB Justin Tuggle. WR Gordon and DL Bryant are suspended for the first four games of the season.