With the final preseason game here, it’s time to project the final roster for the Cleveland Browns for the 2017 season. It’s gonna be weird.
The preseason is set to wrap up for the Cleveland Browns after they take on the Chicago Bears on Thursday, so teams will be setting their final rosters. Because of the change in rules that enabled teams to keep 90 players on rosters for the entire preseason, teams will be accounting for 37 players of their own while watching everyone else do the same to see if there’s anyone they want to grab.
Related Story: Cleveland Browns: Winning the preseason battle of attribition
It’s gonna happen fast and it’s going to be a circus with so many players moving all at once. And like last year, the Browns front office is likely to be opportunistic looking for help, so the 53-man roster will come in two waves. First, initial cuts and then in responding to waiver claims. So let’s get to it.
QB (2) – DeShone Kizer, Cody Kessler
Frankly, they could have any of these quarterbacks backup Kizer and the impact is likely the same. Kessler gets the nod simply because he was a draft pick and maybe he develops.
More importantly, there isn’t a single compelling reason to keep three quarterbacks. If Kizer goes down, the Browns can sign a quarterback off the street that will give them as much as they’ve gotten from Kessler, Kevin Hogan or Brock Osweiler to this point. Hogan, they can put on the practice squad again if no one claims him.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
RB (3) – Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson, Matt Dayes
The top three have been pretty clear for a while. They should be on the lookout for someone else who fight for tough yards inside in case Crowell were to go down, similar to Terrence Magee, but more talented.
FB (0)
The details on Dan Vitale’s ankle injury are vague, but it sounds like he might go on PUP initially. J.P. Holtz played that spot after Vitale went down, but he doesn’t appear to be suited to do the job. Seth DeValve can kind of fulfill that role as an H-Back, even if it’s not ideal.
WR (5) – Corey Coleman, Kenny Britt, Ricardo Louis, Rashard Higgins, Rannell Hall
It really seems as though the final receiver spot is between Hall and Jordan Leslie. Leslie is a little bigger, more physically gifted, but Hall is a little more polished, plays more physical with the ball in his hands and as a blocker. Jordan Payton is probably someone they’d like to get to the practice squad. Hall and Leslie are still eligible for the practice squad, but both might have shown enough to be picked up elsewhere.
TE (3) – Seth DeValve, Randall Telfer, David Njoku
The Browns love their tight end group. Given how much they use them, the fact they’ve used all of them in formations, they might look to add a fourth. Taylor McNamara is someone that could use a year on the practice squad.
OL (11) – Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, J.C. Tretter, Kevin Zeitler, Shon Coleman, John Greco, Austin Reiter, Marcus Martin, Anthony Fabiano, *Zach Sterup, *Rod Johnson
The Browns initially keep a bunch of offensive linemen. Greco doesn’t look quite like himself, but he is the veteran who’s been getting first team reps in Bitonio’s place with the injury. After that, Austin Reiter appears to be firmly in place as the backup center while Fabiano can play center but also repped at guard.
It’s going to be interesting to see what happens at backup tackle. Rod Johnson isn’t ready to play on Sundays, but he is only 21 years old, so the Browns may want to keep him, hoping he can develop. They might just hold onto him or try to put him on the practice squad and while Sterup isn’t terribly good either, he’s a massive body when he gets in the way of defenders.
This number seems like it should ultimately settle at nine and the Browns may be on the lookout for another tackle on waivers. Someone will grab Spencer Drango and put him on their active roster.
DL (11) – Myles Garrett, Danny Shelton, Emmanuel Ogbah, Trevon Coley, Jamie Meder, Carl Nassib, Larry Ogunjobi, Tyrone Holmes, Xavier Cooper, *Nate Orchard, *Caleb Brantley
This is where things start to get weird. Partly because the Browns have more defensive line talent than anywhere else on the roster and partly calling teams on their bluffs, the Browns keep 11 defensive linemen initially.
More from Cleveland Browns
- Cleveland Browns have built a formidable defensive line
- Ranking the 5 best NFL uniform changes for the 2023 season
- 2023 NFL Season: Evaluation 3 darkhorse MVP candidates
- Stop sleeping on Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns
- NFL: Predicting the top 5 running attacks for the 2023 season
Ultimately, Nate Orchard is someone that could be traded and Caleb Brantley is someone the Browns would probably like to sneak onto the practice squad. Letting teams get their rosters set may aid in doing that, even if it’s only after the first set of cuts.
The other strange part is the Browns have three nose guards that are effective. Shelton’s injury still a question mark, but both Meder and Ogunjobi have been very good. As unconventional as that may seem, they can find reps for all of them. Xavier Cooper gets in simply because they don’t have another true 3-tech and he has some versatility.
LB (5) – Jamie Collins, Chris Kirksey, Joe Schobert, Kenneth Olugbode, Dominique Alexander
The top three linebackers are obvious. Olugbode, as undersized as he is, has been the best backup linebacker and Alexander has been his usual, steady self. This is an area where the Browns will be looking for more help on waivers.
CB (4) – Jamar Taylor, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Jason McCourty, Darius Hillary
Only four corners initially after releasing Joe Haden will probably come as a surprise, but they’ll be active looking for extra help there. Maybe they really like someone else they have, but Hillary seems to be the best next guy. He is good at getting in position in coverage, but just needs to finish, separating the receiver from the ball.
S (5) – Jabrill Peppers, Ibraheim Campbell, Derrick Kindred, Kai Nacua, *Calvin Pryor
The saving grace for Pryor might be special teams. He really hasn’t done much on defense, but special teams matter and he could be a big part of that. Meanwhile, Peppers and Nacua are the free safeties with Campbell and Kindred at strong.
K (2) – Zane Gonzalez, *Cody Parkey
This is a situation where the Browns hold onto both kickers, hoping to get a team to bite and make a call to ensure they get a guy that can come in and be a reliable kicker. Being that the competition is so close, generally the tie goes to the draft pick.
Parkey was great for the Browns last year. He missed the kicks he needed to in the game against the Miami Dolphins right off the street to ensure they landed Myles Garrett and deserves a bonus check for it. After that, he was steady and effective for the rest of the year, but the concern is his long game.
P (1) – Brandon Colquitt
LS (1) – Charley Hughlett
Anyone starred is someone projected to be on the roster after the initial cuts, but will soon be released, potentially traded. That’s why the team currently has 22 offensive and defensive linemen and a pair of kickers. Orchard and Parkey are the guys that make the most sense as potential trade options. Meanwhile, Johnson and Brantley are players the Browns may try to sneak to their practice squad, so holding them, even if it’s just an extra day or few, might help there.
It would make sense for the Cleveland Browns to put both Danny Vitale and Howard Wilson on the Physically Unable to Perform List, so they don’t take up a roster spot right now. They can use the added roster flexibility to try to continue to add talent.
Like with last year, the Browns are going to be on the lookout on waivers for additional help. That’s where the Browns landed Tyrone Holmes and Briean Boddy-Calhoun last year, courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are projected to both make the team. Anthony Fabiano was added later in the year and he should make the roster.
When the dust settles, it makes a ton of sense for the Browns to add a fifth corner, a sixth linebacker, potentially a fourth tight end, a short yardage back, better depth at offensive tackle and maybe a short term fullback. In all, the Browns have six players they can replace that could allow them to improve the roster, completely change its makeup.
Next: 2017 NFL Preseason: Top storyline for each team
There are so many ways this thing can go when the final cuts happen when teams start cutting guys. Hopefully no one gets hurt on Thursday, which would throw a curveball into the Browns plans.