BEREA, Ohio — Everybody’s new at the Cleveland Browns rookie minicamp. For a stretch during Friday’s instruction-based practice, it seemed like everybody jumped offsides at least once. There were bad snaps, running backs headed left when the play headed right and the usual kind of first-day missteps.
First-year Browns coach Todd Monken is trying to find beauty in the madness. He’s trying to find players for an evolving offense, too, but at this stage, Monken is fine focusing on fundamentals — and small victories.
“I thought the effort was outstanding,” Monken said. “And we stayed off the ground for the most part, which is half the battle. Took the helmets off a couple of times just to slow them down a little bit. But it was great to get out here with the guys.”
Rookie minicamp is always about the draft picks. The Browns made 10 of them last month, and eight of those 10 signed their standard rookie contracts Friday morning. First-round wide receiver KC Concepcion and second-round safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren remained unsigned as of Friday evening, but both took part in Friday’s practice. Monken said his assistant coaches were able to hold video playbook meetings with the team’s draft picks and the 12 undrafted free agents who officially signed with the team upon arrival, and that probably helped prevent a bit of the jumbled mess these early practices can become. At least, it was supposed to.
To the players who will be in the Browns’ plans, this weekend is just an early introduction and orientation session. Signed rookies will join the team’s offseason conditioning program next week, and the first organized team activity practice will be held May 19. Concepcion will play with the starters then. Spencer Fano was drafted at No. 9 to be the team’s immediate and long-term left tackle. The second-rounders, wide receiver Denzel Boston and McNeil-Warren, will eventually push for playing time, too.
Concepcion had a knee scope in March. Monken said the Browns will be careful with Concepcion’s workload if necessary, but he said the team feels good about Concepcion’s status and that his knee is “great.” Concepcion almost made a circus catch on a deep ball from sixth-round quarterback Taylen Green late in practice Friday, but the ball fell to the ground as Concepcion landed. Concepcion also dropped a pass early in individual drills. The Browns drafted the 21-year-old for his explosiveness and believe he can overcome the drop issues that plagued him throughout his college career. There will be no final judgments made on his progress this spring, and it’s clear that the Browns want him to be an immediate contributor.
Right now, everybody’s just getting started.
Familiar faces
Outside of four players who spent at least part of 2025 with the Browns but are eligible to participate this weekend, Friday marked the first time any of the participants had been in a practice with the team. But Fano saw a familiar face during some of his reps as his older brother, Logan, signed with the Browns as an undrafted defensive end. The Browns started their draft with Spencer Fano and then closed it by securing a commitment from Logan, who also played with his younger brother at Utah.
Spencer Fano said his brother had narrowed his post-draft decision to “two or three teams” and that “everybody was crying” in the family living room when Logan announced that he’d decided on Cleveland.
“Yes, everybody was crying,” Logan said. “Everybody.”
Four participants in this weekend’s minicamp attended Timpview High School in Provo, Utah: Both Fano brothers, seventh-round tight end Carsen Ryan and tryout defensive tackle Braxton Fely.
Though most of the full-team reps Friday were conducted at jog-through speed amid typical May sloppiness, it was notable that Ryan took some fullback reps. The Browns signed 34-year-old fullback Michael Burton after the draft, but Burton missed last season due to injury. Ryan said he played “a lot” of H-back and fullback during his college career at UCLA, Utah and BYU. For now, we’re viewing the Browns’ fullback options as Burton, Ryan and defensive tackle Adin Huntington, who played fullback in some special packages last season.
As expected, Boston and Concepcion were at the front of every wide receiver line. When the Browns lined up in full-team situations, Spencer Fano was at left tackle and third-round pick Austin Barber was at right tackle. This summer, Barber will compete to become the top backup at both tackle spots. Green took the vast majority of the quarterback reps, and the rest went to tryout player Bryson Barnes.
Numbers game
With 16-man practice squads. 17-game seasons and the Browns going young — at least partially by both design and necessity at this stage of their rebuild — every spot on the 90-man offseason roster holds some significance. While the Browns’ invitation of 25 tryout players to participate this weekend is mostly about filling out position groups to keep practice moving, the team is also evaluating current and future options at multiple spots.
The most notable — and most experienced — player in this weekend’s tryout group is wide receiver Jalen Reagor, a first-round pick in 2020 who has played for four different NFL franchises. Just based on his opportunities from one practice, undrafted rookie tryout wide receiver Aaron Anderson might eventually warrant a longer look. The only wide receiver in the team’s undrafted rookie class currently is Kole Wilson, whose chances to stick will come via the return game.
“Certainly, with most of the tryout guys you’re bringing in younger players,” Monken said. “But obviously we want to take a look at Jalen. He does have a skill set, and I thought he did a great job today.”
Usually, a couple tryout players from rookie minicamp get the chance to sign at some point over the days and weeks that follow. The Browns will need at least 15 available offensive linemen for their OTA sessions and could end up adding more wide receivers to accommodate four quarterbacks, all of whom are competing and being evaluated on some level. The team can have up to 10 OTA sessions over the three-week period beginning May 19. The formal offseason program wraps up with a mandatory minicamp from June 9 through 11.
The Browns could need more receivers to accommodate their four quarterbacks, including rookie Taylen Green. (Nick Cammett / Getty Images)
Owusu-Koramoah sidelined again
The Browns placed linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, which means Owusu-Koramoah again won’t play in 2026 — and probably can be taken as a sign that Owusu-Koramoah likely won’t play again.
Owusu-Koramoah was a Pro Bowler in 2023 and signed an extension with the Browns in 2024 before he suffered a serious neck injury in a collision with Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry. Owusu-Koramoah also spent last season on the physically unable to perform list.
Earlier this year, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said he was “not overly optimistic” that Owusu-Koramoah would play football again. The Browns used a second-round pick in 2025 on linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who became the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Over the last two months, the Browns have added veteran linebacker Quincy Williams and selected linebacker Justin Jefferson out of Alabama in the fifth round.
More comings and goings
A busy day of churning the bottom of the roster culminated with the Browns claiming defensive tackle Elijah Chatman via waivers a day after Chatman was waived by the New York Giants. Chatman stuck with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and played in 22 games over two seasons.
The Browns designated punter Nik Constantinou as the team’s roster-exempt international player. Constantinou will essentially be player No. 91 on the 90-man offseason roster and, at least for the spring and training camp, gives the Browns a free tryout/camp leg. The team re-signed punter Corey Bojorquez in March to a one-year deal after Bojorquez briefly hit free agency.
Bojorquez has been pretty good but also overworked; he’s led the NFL in punts in each of the last two seasons. Constantinou signed a futures contract with the Browns in January; he’s a left-footed former Australian football player who punted at Texas A&M and in the CFL before joining the Browns.
Punter Wes Pahl was a member of the team’s 12-man undrafted rookie class, and Pahl can try to make enough of an impression to stick around for at least part of the offseason. Bojorquez is a known commodity and an eight-year veteran, so the offseason can be used to evaluate future options.