Cleveland Browns wide receiver and kick returner Gage Larvadain will never challenge for a starting job on the offense, but he is a jack-of-all-trades who can fill multiple roles with a single roster spot. That type of versatility is what NFL head coaches and general managers like to see.
Larvadain made his final bid for a spot on the 53-man roster in Thursday’s 37-13 preseason victory against the New England Patriots, and he shined on offense, which might have been an area which was dampening his chances of winning a roster spot. The fact it was reported the Browns were set to release Cedric Tillman, bumped up Larvadain’s chances of winning a roster spot slightly.
It Would be Stunning if Gage Larvadain Fails to Make Roster
Larvadain was featured in the offense prominently on Thursday night against the Patriots, racking up five receptions for 48 yards on six targets. Both the receptions and targets were team highs, so first-year Todd Monken really wanted to see what Larvadain could do on offense, in the event he is needed in the regular season. He also had a 4-yard run on his only rushing attempt.
Larvadain didn’t do much in the punt return game, but the organization already knows what he can do in that role, and as a special teams contributor. The second-year player from the University of South Carolina only had seven receptions for 71 yards on 14 targets in the regular season in 2025, while rushing once for three yards. However, he had 24 punt returns for 167 yards while producing 21 fair catches. So, he was used frequently in the punt return game.
Will Browns Keep Larvadain, Malachi Corley and Tylan Wallace?
All three players seem to have a very similar skill set. Corley has made a name for himself as a special teams maven, especially as a kick return. He isn’t necessarily going to challenge for touches on offense, especially as long as veteran Jerry Jeudy and rookie draft picks KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston remain healthy. However, Corley flashes in the return game.
Wallace was brought over from the Baltimore Ravens, and Monken is familiar with his work from their time together with the Ravens. Does that work against Larvadain and/or Corley? It’s hard to say. But, we didn’t see Wallace on Thursday, while Larvadain showed out. That has to be good news for his bid for a job on the 53-man roster, right?
Cuts will be announced by Saturday, August 30, and we could potentially see Corley and/or Wallace on the list. It seems unlikely at this point that Larvadain will be included on that list. He appears to have done enough to avoid a visit from ‘The Turk’, and we’re projecting him to make the 53-man roster.
