Teams are about to start cutting 37 players apiece to get set for the regular season and the Cleveland Browns still have waiver priority. Welp, let’s get lootin.’
The Cleveland Browns are poised to be on the lookout for players who don’t make the final 53-man roster from other teams. Last year, it netted them Briean Boddy-Calhoun, who is poised to be a starter in the Browns secondary. This year will be far more chaotic because of the way the NFL has changed the rules when it comes to cut. Rather than having one cut down day from 90 to 75 and then to 53, it’s going from 90 to 53 all in one move.
Related Story: Cleveland Browns: Final 53-man roster prediction
So much of the focus will be who the Browns keep, rightly, but some are wondering who else is out there that could come in and help the Browns like Calhoun did last year. Here are some names to keep an eye on that could potentially be released and help the Browns.
If there is one team to keep an eye on, it’s the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings cleaned up late in the draft and with undrafted free agents at some spots the Browns could use help. Four players stand out as good options for the Browns if they are released.
The Vikings added three rookie linebackers in the draft and free agency and two of them were really talented prospects. Elijah Lee out of Kansas State and Eric Wilson out of Cincinnati are both excellent athletes with high production in college.
Jack Tocho was a corner at N.C. State that Minnesota has as a strong safety. He would go back to corner on the Browns. Based on his athleticism, production and tape, he is someone that can be a productive NFL player (I had him rated over Browns fourth-round pick Howard Wilson).
Corner doesn’t have a deep talent pool this year. The Browns may have specific skill sets and athletic profiles they want, but a lot of teams seem to be short on talent in that area. Fortunately, the Browns have dibs in terms of waivers.
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
Josiah Price is a tough, inline tight end that can block and offers some upside as a receiver. If the Browns want to add a fourth tight end (they should), he is someone that can come in and do dirty work in the events that one of the top three tight ends get hurt.
The Browns could use some help at offensive tackle behind Joe Thomas and Shon Coleman. If the New England Patriots let go of Max Rich, an undrafted free agent out of Harvard, the Browns should pounce on him. He’s coming out of the same system as Anthony Fabiano, was great for the Crimson and is a tremendous athlete. Rich, like Fabiano last year, has to make the big adjustment from the Ivy League to the NFL, but he has far better upside than Rod Johnson without losing any of the length.
The other possible tackle that could become available is Storm Norton, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions. Norton has the length and movement skills to be an effective tackle, but simply needs to add muscle to be an NFL player. The Lions are shorthanded at tackle and probably keep him, but he could be out there too.
The interior of the offensive line doesn’t seem like as much of a priority, but if the Browns do want to try to grab more help there, it’s in Green Bay. The Packers grabbed a bunch of really athletic late in the draft and after it, as they often do. They just put them in the pipeline and they end up with some gems like current Browns center J.C. Tretter. Thomas Evans, Kofi Amichia and Geoff Gray are all worthwhile line projects to bury on the depth chart for a year or few.
Linebacker should be a big focus on cut down day and the Houston Texans managed to get Dylan Cole as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri State. He keeps getting public praise from the coaching staff, so he might be safe to make that team, but he’s another outstanding athlete that was extremely productive in college.
Given the fact that Hue Jackson loves the tight end position as much as he does, even going as far as using David Njoku, Seth DeValve and Randall Telfer in the same formation, adding a fourth tight end would be prudent. Initially, the hope was that Mason Schreck would be released by the Cincinnati Bengals. A great athlete who played at Medina High School, Schreck was the leading receiver at the University of Buffalo. Unfortunately, he recently suffered an MCL injury that may enable the Bengals to keep him under wraps.
Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins have a ton of tight ends and Jeremy Sprinkle might be cut loose. Sprinkle probably took himself off of the Browns draft radar with his incredibly stupid shoplifting arrest at the Belk Bowl. If he’s released, the Browns may revisit that stance, able to be extremely strict with him about off field behavior. Should he do anything wrong, they can simply cut him.
Former Toledo Rocket and Benedictine Bengal Mike Roberts has had some drops in Detroit. If the Lions opt to drop him, he’s another tight end with massive size who is learning how to block, but takes up so much space as a pass catcher. He’s a little bit of a developmental guy, but as a fourth tight end, that’s perfectly fine.
There are going to be a number of running backs that could be attractive for the Browns, if they want a fourth back. The main team to watch there is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If they cut either Peyton Barber or Jeremy McNichols, they could help in Cleveland. Barber is a between the tackles power back that could backup Isaiah Crowell directly for short yardage situations.
McNichols is an extremely talented back out of Boise State. For whatever reason, he has not done particularly well in training camp for the Bucs, struggling with blocking and other things. It’s gotten to the point where the team is publicly calling him out to step up or they’re gonna get rid of him.
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
Nevertheless, he’s a short, thick, extremely athletic back that was tremendous for the Broncos that came just shy of 4,000 total yards and 53 touchdowns the past two seasons. Basically, he’s a much more talented Terrence Magee and Kirby Wilson is a terrific position coach.
It’s also worth pointing out that at least in terms of blocking, Isaiah Crowell just became pretty good at it this year. As long as the guy can run and catch passes, which McNichols showed he could in college, the rest can be figured out and learned with time.
Much of the focus for wide receiver is trying to get someone to help now. In that case, the best possible cut might come out of Tennessee in the form of Tajae Sharpe. Sharpe started 10 games last year and caught 41 passes for 522 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He’s not terribly impressive to look at, but he just has a knack of getting open and making plays.
On sheer talent, the Browns should look to Washington, where Robert Davis or Zach Pascal could come available, unless they keep six. Both are athletic, talented players from smaller schools that might need a little time to adjust to the NFL.
Much of the focus is on the fate of Jermaine Kearse in Seattle, but Amara Darboh is a talented prospect out of Michigan that really came on in his final year with good size and speed. Krishawn Hogan in Arizona is another small school guy with great upside that could be available, but like all of these guys, it’s difficult to expect much impact now.
Next: NFL 2017: Predicting one disappointment from each team
No one should expect miracles on cut down day. The Cleveland Browns might try to swing a trade to upgrade a position in a bigger way, but there is no question there are opportunities for the Browns to improve the roster and attack some weaknesses they couldn’t get to in the draft. The front office did an excellent job of this last year and will likely attack it with a similar level of aggression this year.