Which three players are on the roster bubble heading into Cleveland Browns training camp? We take a look at one of the more talented rosters in the league.
The Cleveland Browns have one of the most talented rosters in the league from top to bottom on both sides of the ball.
Whether or not you agree with the move, this roster is the reason why the Browns were so aggressive in pursuing a player like Deshaun Watson at the quarterback position.
They believe they are close to championship contention.
Along with having a tremendous roster come difficult roster cuts.
The Cleveland Browns will have plenty of difficult cuts to make over the course of the next handful of weeks and a handful of players stand out as those on top of the roster bubble list.
Let’s look at three names specifically.
Cleveland Browns on roster bubble in 2022: Sheldon Day, DL
One of the players that has to be on the roster bubble heading into training camp is defensive lineman Sheldon Day, a player who logged 21 tackles in seven games for the Browns last season.
The Browns, despite the presence of Day on the roster, have continued to be connected to free agent defensive linemen, notably players like Ndamukong Suh.
The Browns are clearly not satisfied with the current depth chart on the defensive line and Day opened up training camp on the NFI list.
As someone wise once said, “You can’t make the club if you’re in the tub.”
Day will hopefully be able to be out there competing sooner rather than later, but every day that goes by is an opportunity for other players on the Browns’ roster to take his reps or for the Browns’ front office to decide they need to make another big free agent splash.
Cleveland Browns player on the roster bubble: Stephen Weatherly, EDGE
On paper, the idea of adding Stephen Weatherly at a cheap price is a very good one for the Cleveland Browns.
Finding depth off the edge is hard enough, but finding guys that can actually help you in a pinch during the regular season in case you have an injury to one of your top players?
That’s even harder.
Stephen Weatherly is not the kind of player you’re going to build a defense around these days, but he’s proven as a former seventh-round pick that he is better than his draft status would indicate, and he’s also proven useful in multiple types of defensive schemes.
Because of that, it’s great for Weatherly to be around at training camp for the Cleveland Browns.
In case anything happens to their top edge guys, he’s going to be valuable depth.
But what if the Browns come out of camp healthy?
Are they going to keep five or more edge guys around, including Weatherly?
We know rookie Alex Wright is not going anywhere. What about trade acquisition Chase Winovich?
Winovich might be Weatherly’s top competition at training camp as the Browns decide which players will make up their edge group.
Cleveland Browns on the roster bubble: D’Ernest Johnson, RB
This is going to seem pretty shocking considering some of the really good things we saw out of D’Ernest Johnson last year.
His 2021 season included a rather dominant performance on Thursday Night Football against the Denver Broncos and their broken linebacker position.
Johnson was re-signed and is strong depth for the Browns to have at the running back position behind both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, but the Browns may have other options as well.
The Browns took Demetric Felton in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and while Felton could also easily be considered as being on the roster bubble, his versatility and contract could ultimately play a factor in his staying around over a player like Johnson.
Even if the Browns do move on from Felton, there’s more competition for the RB3 job in the form of 2022 fifth-round pick Jerome Ford out of Cincinnati.
Ford is a big back at 210 pounds with explosive speed, clocking a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash.
What happens if he has a huge preseason and looks ready for regular season action?
Again, the Browns have options, there’s no question about it.
They also have John Kelly Jr. on the roster at the running back position, and the fullback position will be a factor in how this roster is constructed.
As injuries mount around the league, a player like D’Ernest Johnson could become a pretty nice trade piece, and perhaps the Browns could recoup a late-round pick for him as opposed to just cutting him outright.