The Cleveland Browns have fully embraced a youth movement this offseason. Naturally, it would make sense for the team to carry all 10 of its 2026 draft picks on the initial 53-man roster with an eye on developing as much young talent as possible.
Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi sees one of those promising rookies hitting the waiver wire — due in part to a 34-year-old journeyman who no longer plays a traditional NFL position.
We’re talking about fullback Michael Burton, who the Browns signed to a one-year contract following the draft in late April. The veteran will enter training camp with the inside track to a roster spot, as head coach Todd Monken utilized the position often as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. His former fullback, Patrick Ricard, averaged well over 400 offensive snaps per season for a Ravens team that led the NFL in yards per attempt in both 2024 and 2025.
In his 2026 Browns training camp preview, Oyefusi predicted Burton to make the initial 53-man roster at the expense of seventh-round rookie tight end Carsen Ryan.
Browns rookie Carsen Ryan could face an uphill climb to make the team
The good news for Ryan is that the Browns’ tight end depth chart is wide-open behind starter Harold Fannin Jr.
The bad news is that the tight end and fullback positions are connected, and the numbers game may not be working in Ryan's favor entering training camp.
The battle for the Browns’ No. 2 tight end role will be led by fifth-round rookie Joe Royer, and veterans Jack Stoll, Blake Whiteheart, and Brenden Bates. Those latter three players all fit the profile as more of your prototypical in-line, blocking complement to Fannin, who was utilized heavily as a passing-game weapon in 2025.
Ryan falls somewhere in the middle. He had excellent production at BYU, including a 45-catch, 630-yard senior season in 2025. Ryan ranked third on the team in total targets and sixth among FBS tight ends in receiving yards.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic also highlighted his physicality and toughness as a blocker during the pre-draft process, and how that could appeal to NFL coaches — especially an old-school coach like Monken:
“Ryan is more coordinated than explosive and offers an appealing mix of pass-catching talent and blocking toughness," Brugler wrote. "Regardless of where he is drafted, he has the type of talent that sticks on a roster and becomes valuable for an NFL offense.”
From the outside looking in, it would seem a bit odd for the Browns to waive a toolsy tight end they just drafted, especially if it's in favor of an aging vet in Burton who’s nearing the end of his career.
But Monken clearly has a vision for his offense, and as Oyefusi’s projection hints, Ryan may have to prove himself more as a fullback than a hybrid tight end to earn his spot this summer.
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