Cleveland Browns: Who would be protected in an expansion draft?

The last team that participated in the NFL’s expansion draft was the Houston Texans. If a team were to have one this year, who would be the Cleveland Browns’ protected players?

Recently, the NHL’s newest team, the Vegas Golden Knights, added to their roster via the league’s expansion draft. One player per team could be selected. If there were an expansion draft this year, is it to determine who the protected players of the Cleveland Browns would be?

Maybe, but that’s far from certain.

Keep in mind expansion drafts are scheduled before the NFL’s free agency and yearly draft. With that in mind, Browns’ EDGE and first overall pick Myles Garrett, along with their free agent signing of right guard Kevin Zeitler for examples, would not be on the available list for the new NFL team.

When teams protect specific players, they tend to lean towards those who are younger and have a lot of upside to provide. That would be mean players such as left tackle Joe Thomas (despite being a future hall of famer) and cornerback Joe Haden would not be protected by Cleveland.

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So, which players should be considered as a protected player if an expansion draft was scheduled? Here is how I view it broken down by the three parts of a roster:

Special Teams: No one. If Cleveland had a younger Phil Dawson at kicker still on the roster, he would be considered. However, it has been years since that has been possible. Punter Dustin Colquitt could be tempting, but at the end of the day, he has not done enough. As a result, no one truly jumps out as a protected player.

Offense: Left guard Joel Bitonio, quarterback Cody Kessler are protected. Despite having a shortened 2016 season, Bitonio arguably has the highest ceiling to work with in the years ahead along the offensive line, along with the most potential.

He has not been in the NFL long, but the Browns knew they needed to keep Bitonio via a contract extension that was signed earlier this year.

Kessler meanwhile is not established, but at the moment is Cleveland’s best quarterback option. When exactly rookie DeShone Kizer surpasses him atop the depth chart remains to be seen. So, until and even after Cleveland sees what Kizer can do in real games, Kessler needs to be in NE Ohio.

Besides, even if Kessler is not starting in Cleveland’s long-term picture, he at least would be a good backup. For those of you asking, what about running back Isaiah Crowell?

Well “The Crow” is playing on a one-year deal and running backs, barring the addition of an elite back, are a dime a dozen. The Browns will look to replace him eventually (possibly, very early on in next year’s draft if they can’t reach a long-term deal).

Defense: Of all three aspects of the Browns’ roster, this particular part has the most players to protect. Linebackers Christian Kirksey, Jamie Collins, defensive end/EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah, defensive tackle/nose tackle Danny Shelton, cornerbacks Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Jamar Taylor are all kept.

Both Kirksey and Collins got paid and will be continue to be key pieces to Cleveland’s defense. By drafting Kirksey in 2014 and trading a third round pick to the New England Patriots for Collins just last year, expect a lot of dime packages involving those two players.

Ogbah had a dominating rookie season and looks to build upon that now that more opportunities should open up with Shelton and Garrett requiring a lot of attention. In the beginning of Shelton’s career, it appeared that Cleveland missed with him in the first round.