Cleveland Browns: Top 6 Position Battles at Camp
Dec 8, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end
Gary Barnidge(82) runs the ball for a touchdown against New England Patriots free safety
Devin McCourty(32) in the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Cleveland Browns 27-26. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
6. Who Will Replace Jordan Cameron?
Competition: Gary Barnidge, Jim Dray, Rob Housler, E.J. Bibbs, Randall Telfer
The lost of Jordan Cameron left a wide open gap at the tight end position. He was third in the NFL among tight ends in average with 17.7 yards a game. That will be hard for any of his predecessors to duplicate. While he showed flashes of being a great player, he was injury prone and at times it seemed like he lacked the will and motivation to play through certain injuries.
Barnidge and Dray filled in well for Cameron. They were both the go-to guys on third down, and they made some of the tougher catches thrown to them, which Cameron struggled with at times.
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The Browns addressed the issue by drafting Telfer, signing Bibbs as an UDFA out of Iowa State, and signing Housler, who was the best available tight end at the time. Housler was supposed to come in and automatically take the vacant spot, however, he has had a disappointing training camp and is dropping passes at such an alarming rate that coach Mike Pettine is starting to worry.
Bibbs has been the biggest surprise of training camp thus far. He has the speed to beat linebackers and the strength to block off the line. He also showed his soft hands on Thursday against the Washington Redskins. Bibbs has the chance to make the team as the third tight end.
Telfer will likely miss the entire 2015 season as he recovers from Lisfranc surgery on his left mid-foot. He suffered the injury in the Holiday Bowl against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Result: Gary Barnidge
Barnidge will likely be the new starter with Dray as the second tight end. He started with the first team Thursday–and proved last season that he is a reliable target and decent blocker. Keep an eye on Bibbs, he could be the sleeper at the end of the day.
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