Browns make roster cuts, waive DE Benton Whitley and Brenden Bates off injured reserve

The Cleveland Browns have made additional preseason roster adjustments, waiving defensive end Benton Whitley and Brenden Bates, while also removing Bates from injured reserve, according to the team’s official transaction log released August 26, 2026.

Roster management is a continuing process for NFL teams from the final weeks of training camp through the league’s cutdown period. In that window, teams move players in and out of active rosters, injured reserve designations, and waiver eligibility as they evaluate depth, special teams roles, and positional matchups. When a player is waived, other clubs have an opportunity to claim him, or he can be signed to a new club if he clears waivers, depending on his accrued experience and contract status.

For Whitley, the move is a direct waiver out of the Browns’ current personnel plans. Whitley is listed as a defensive end, and the decision fits into a broader need to establish a consistent defensive rotation. In the NFL, edge rush and run-defense depth tend to be scrutinized heavily by coaching staffs because those roles touch both early downs and late-game package football, particularly when opponents shift between power running and quick passing concepts.

Bates, meanwhile, is released from the injured reserve list. The team’s transaction indicates that Bates had been on injured reserve at the time of the move, then was waived from that designation. Being taken off injured reserve changes the roster status immediately for the player, and it also affects how the Browns structure their available bodies for practices and game-week plans. Teams sometimes make these moves as players progress through rehab, as an evaluation is completed, or as roster needs shift during the cutdown timeline.

Cleveland’s decision to waive both players on the same date underscores that this is not simply one positional tweak, but a broader roster reset. The Browns are working through the practical realities of a 53-man construction, which requires balancing starters, backups, and special teams contributors, while also managing how many players at each position can be kept without sacrificing quality or practice reps for those who remain.

What to watch next is whether either player draws interest on waivers from another team, which is often the most immediate outcome in these situations. If they clear waivers, the next step could be a practice-squad opportunity elsewhere or a new chance within the same organization depending on roster rules and the player’s contract situation. For Browns fans, the bigger takeaway is that the defensive depth chart is still being finalized, and these moves are part of Cleveland’s ongoing search for the right combination of availability and performance as the season approaches.