Five Cleveland Browns on the bubble ahead of Saturday’s final cut.
The Cleveland Browns will end a preseason unlike any other on Saturday, when Andrew Berry has to chop down the roster to 53 players.
What the offense truly looks like won’t be known until Baker Mayfield takes his first snap against the Ravens on Sept. 13. Unfortunately for the offense, a lot of the reporting from Training Camp has the unit has uneven and clunky.
That said, perhaps Mayfield and his teammates put it together in final 10 days of camp. Remember, led by Nick Chubb, the Browns spanked the playoff-bound Ravens in Baltimore a season ago.
Plus, a usually tough place to play will be different, as no fans will be in attendance.
However, before the Browns get there, Andrew Berry must trip the roster down to 53 players, and his decisions will undoubtedly spark debate among the fan base.
Here’s five Browns on the bubble ahead of Training Camp’s one and only cut on Saturday.
1. D’Ernest Johnson
With the Browns top two running back spots locked up behind Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, in addition to fullback Andy Janovich on the roster, there’s only backup spot remaining, and it pits D’Ernest Johnson against Dontrell Hilliard.
Something that stick out from last year’s was Hillard’s inability to catch passes out of the backfield against the Sehawks. It was one game, but it was a big deal, and he’s supposed to be a back who can catch.
Maybe the Browns cut Johnson and try to sneak him back on the practice squad, but I think it’s obvious Johnson’s earned a spot on the team.
Johnson had one of the most reported on plays during the team’s practice at First Energy Stadium Aug. 31. By all accounts, he took it to another level. That’s just something we haven’t seen from Hillard.
Verdict: Johnson makes the squad, but with Chubb and Hunt ahead of him, will be mainly a special teamer.
2. JoJo Natson
JoJo Natson’s stock is up at camp, but it doesn’t guarantee a roster spot for him. He had opened eyes earlier in camp with his work out of the slot. It was a surprise, because he hadn’t been asked to play that position before during this NFL career, as his talents were mainly used as a kickoff/punt return specialist.
His roster fate will come down to whether or not the Browns keep six receivers, and if they do, will Andrew Berry go with his free-agent signing over Damion Ratley.
Right now, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Berry just keep five receivers. OBJ and Juice Landry are locked down, while the constant raving by the coaches over Rashard Higgins and KhaDarel Hodge would indicate they’ve made the team, as well.
That leaves rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones as the fifth man, and go ahead and assume he’ll make the team. There’s no way Berry will expose him to waivers, plus, the fifth-round pick played really well in camp, and could’ve easily edged out Harrison Bryant for the camp’s most outstanding rookie award.
Final verdict: It doesn’t look good for Natson. DPJ does the things he does and keeping just five receivers lets Berry throw some help to Stefansk’s defense, which could use an extra player.
3. Pharaoh Brown
No, David Njoku isn’t on the bubble. Stefanski will use as many as three tight ends at times, so Njoku still has a role, despite being limited by a sore wrist throughout camp.
The Browns are probably going to keep a fourth tight end, because they don’t possess a true blocking tight end among the first three names on the depth chart.
That leads to the battle between Pharaoh Brown and Stephen Carlson.
Both can block, but Brown’s displayed an ability to catch, as well. If one of the top three players at the position go down, Brown would be a life preserver.
Final verdict: Brown makes the team. Carlson’s had a good camp, there just aren’t enough spots.
4. Chad Thomas
Porter Gustin has been one of the stars of Training Camp, as he’s clearly passed Thomas, a 2018 third-round pick of John Dorsey on the depth chart.
ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi speculated the signing of Boise State rookie Curtis Weaver truly spelled the end Thomas’ time as a developmental pass rusher. Grossi contends Weaver, who will spend the entire 2020 campaign on IR, will be back in 2021 as Andrew Berry’s “pet project.”
After being drafted 67th overall, fans were high on Thomas, a product of Miami, but he played sparingly during his rookie season. The opportunity was their for him in 2019 following an injury to Olivier Vernon and a suspension for Myles Garrett, but he didn’t exactly seize the job.
Thomas received a 47.8 grade form PFF, which is considered poor.
Verdict: Assuming the ends are Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Adrian Clayborn and Gustin, Thomas is the odd man out. If he’s released, it’s highly likely he’ll be claimed by another team.
5. Willie Wright
The offensive line will be one of the big storylines all season. The Browns invested heavily in the unit during the draft and in free agency, and it remains unclear if Jedrick Wills is up to the challenge of stepping into the left tackle spot on day one.
Additionally, J.C. Tretter has been out all of camp after undergoing surgery on his knee. Rookie Nick Harris has been taking all the first-team reps at the position, but Evan Brown is listed as his backup.
Undrafted rookie Alex Taylor played well, but he’s more suited for the practice squad. That leaves Wright. He can play center or guard, which is valuable because Harris hasn’t gotten to take any reps at guard, as he’s filled in for Tretter.
Verdict: Wright gets the edge over Brown, as he’ll be the only true backup guard on the roster once Tretter returns.