Cleveland Browns: 5 surprises from 2nd episode of HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’

4. “Juste!”

Tight end Devon Cajuste is the longshot everyone in the Dawg Pound is rooting for to make the team.

Cajuste, a former tight end with Stanford who’s already been cut by two NFL teams since 2017, has one of the more intriguing human interest stories, especially because of his bond with his dad.

Cajuste’s father made the trip to camp because the tight end called his pops to let him know that he needed him in Berea. To Cajuste’s surprise, his dad was there the next day.

In an interview with both men, Cajuste’s Dad revealed he had several heart attacks, with one happening so recently that Cajuste didn’t even know.

He was visibly shook upon learning the news, as you might expect.

On field, Cajuste showed what life is like for a guy looking for a roster spot.

He was visibility hurt (shoulder), but leaving the field was never something that crossed his mind. The most valuable commodity in his professional life right now centers around playing time and walking off the field would mean someone else takes his spot.

What are Cajuste’s chances of making the final roster?

David Njoku‘s job is secure, and one would imagine Seth DeValve is safe too, even though he hasn’t been able to get on the field because of injury. He just recently became active.

Darren Fells is probably also safe because he’s the designated blocking tight end.

It’d be surprising to see the Browns carry four tight ends, but there’s always special teams. Plus, Cajuste’s played well, receiving an “Up and comer” superlative from Browns’ wire writer Jeff Risdon.

I marked Cajuste as a player to watch at camp based off his position. He’s going to get a lot of time with the backups, and a pass catching tight end who is incredibly athletic can be a quarterback’s best friend.

He showed some of that in the preseason debut, but make no mistake, it’s probably going to be an uphill climb for him to make the final roster.

Either way, we’re rooting for him!