Browns begin early roster trim ahead of 53-man deadline, release Tre Avery and Tyler Hall

Teams across the league are beginning to look past the preseason and toward the 53-man roster, with the league-mandated deadline for clubs to reduce rosters set for 5 p.m. CT on Sunday. Cleveland and Pittsburgh were among the early starters on that process, according to Pro Football Rumors’ roundup of minor transactions published on Aug. 29.

Cleveland’s first batch of cuts included releasing cornerback Tre Avery and cornerback Tyler Hall. The moves reflect how teams are using the final window to balance depth, special-teams value, and practice-squad options before the roster locks for Week 1 eligibility.

The Browns were also under continued roster pressure because the club was working to get below 80 players entering Saturday, rather than waiting for the final day. That is a common strategy for teams trying to avoid stacking multiple transactions too late, especially when they anticipate additional waiver or injury-management decisions.

Pro Football Rumors’ report also indicated Cleveland made a roster change involving a tight end, described as a release via an injury settlement for “TE Jack …” The tight end’s full name was not visible in the available preview text, so the specific player identity cannot be confirmed from the information provided here.

While Cleveland’s cuts were the focus of the early entries, the roundup also noted Pittsburgh made corresponding early moves to begin trimming its roster. Like the Browns, the Steelers were reported as being under 80 players entering Saturday, indicating that both teams wanted runway before Sunday’s final reduction.

For Cleveland, the immediate roster impact is most likely felt in the secondary depth chart and on special teams, areas where marginal players can be separated quickly once teams settle into their regular-season personnel templates. With roster cut-down week underway, the next step to watch is whether either club later uses waivers to move players off the main roster or rebalances the depth mix before Sunday’s cutoff.

As always with late-August transactions, additional details can surface quickly after the initial release lists, including subsequent waiver outcomes and whether any players are reattached to rosters through practice-squad or other mechanisms. The 5 p.m. CT deadline on Sunday remains the key checkpoint for a clearer view of each team’s final shape.