Browns release unofficial depth chart for Aug. 22 preseason game vs. Bills

The Cleveland Browns have published an unofficial depth chart for their second preseason game, a Week 2 matchup at home against the Buffalo Bills. The team’s release frames the chart as a working snapshot for the Saturday, Aug. 22 game at Huntington Bank Field, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET and the broadcast available on WEWS.

Preseason depth charts are not official roster claims in the way regular-season lists can be, and they can shift quickly as coaches continue to rotate starters and evaluate reserves. Still, for the Browns, the timing matters. Week 1 of the preseason typically focuses on establishing early rhythm, while Week 2 often becomes the sharper look at who can handle defined roles when the schedule compresses and the coaching staff narrows its longer-term evaluation.

For fans and local observers, Cleveland’s decision to post an unofficial depth chart is a practical guide to what the coaching staff wants to see on the field. Depth charts affect how units are matched during practice and in-game substitutions, and they can also report which players are being entrusted with repeatable responsibilities, especially on offense where protections, tempo, and alignment calls are closely monitored.

The Bills, as the opponent, also bring a relevant context to the matchup. Buffalo’s preseason approach tends to emphasize both evaluating depth and testing combinations that might look similar in the regular-season picture. When the Browns and Bills meet in the preseason, the matchup can function as a stress test for Cleveland’s second and third groups, because teams frequently use these games to compare how their depth units respond to live looks from a comparable opponent rather than a mirror of internal drills.

The Browns’ posted chart is best read as a coach’s current priority list rather than a guarantee of final roles. Even with an unofficial depth chart in hand, the preseason remains fluid, with late-game packages, emergency personnel, and situational substitutions all influencing who ends up getting work at each spot. The most meaningful takeaway will be whether players identified in the chart can translate that opportunity into consistent execution across multiple drives.

Next up for Cleveland is the preseason opener’s follow-through, now that Week 2 is set against Buffalo. What to watch on Saturday includes how Cleveland’s top groups handle early downs, whether the charted reserves earn additional snaps as the game progresses, and how both teams manage substitutions in ways that preserve the evaluation purpose of the second preseason weekend.