5 Cleveland Browns player that shouldn’t have been cut and 5 who should have

Should have kept – FB Johnny Stanton

Now it’s unconventional to keep two fullbacks on the squad at the same time, but it’s also just dumb to carry five tight ends, so this pick feels justified in many ways. It’s not the position, however, that you’re carrying but the player. Ignore the “fullback” next to Johnny Stanton’s name, Stanton’s a football player. He’s a quarterback, running back, fullback, and could even play linebacker. He’s got a good but not great 40-time of just under 4.70 and his versatility could be useful.

If he’s a good enough blocker as a back, he could lineup like an H-back on the line of scrimmage with Andy Janovich in the game as well. If the Browns burn through their two starters under center, then Stanton could step in as emergency relief. On top of all that, he could be the perfect special teams’ compliment.

Should have cut- OL Chris Hubbard

Why was he ever brought back is a question that often haunts most Browns writers. Chris Hubbard seems like a great guy, there’s no attitude issues that anyone seems aware of. Yet he failed to do anything meaningful in his time with the Cleveland Browns and was so ineffective as a blocker, Mayfield got lit up from his side of the line.

Mayfield got lit up due to both tackles being awful, but The Browns let Greg Robinson go. Granted he’s facing felony charges for drug smuggling, but still, they brought back Hubbard? He didn’t work as a starter and now he’s a year older and a year more beat up.

This isn’t Madden, you don’t stack up guys with name-value that you think is good. In the real NFL, there is no proper way to measure a player besides the eye-test. Does that guy get it done? If you sign someone to be a backup, you better sign him believing he can start. Every NFL team should have nine to ten “starters” on the offensive line (or anywhere else on the team). If you have a guy you know can’t start for you, you have a guy who can’t be a backup either.