The Cleveland Browns will open up OTAs later this month, giving head coach Kevin Stefanski a first look at the whole 90-man roster. The Browns’ roster still has a lot of jobs up for grabs, which is great news for countless veterans and undrafted free agents looking to make a name for themselves.
One veteran looking to prove himself at Browns OTAs is defensive end Cameron Thomas. The 25-year-old defender was picked up off waivers late last season from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cameron Thomas Needs Strong Showing in Browns OTAs
Thomas didn’t make a huge impact with the Browns last year, but still racked up 11 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, a quarterback hit, and a sack in five games. The 6-foot-4 defender played 19 percent of defensive and 20 percent of offensive snaps.
For his career, the 25-year-old only has 51 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss, eight QB hits, four sacks, two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery in 41 games.
Heading into OTAs, the young defensive lineman is likely considered a fourth-string defensive end behind Isaiah McGuire, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and Ogbo Okoronkwo.
McGuire (Browns’ 2023 fourth-round pick) and Tryon-Shoyinka (free agent) will likely be the frontrunners to compete for the starting spot opposite superstar Myles Garrett. However, the 25-year-old has the chance to compete and beat out Okoronkwo, Julian Okwara, and Elerson Smith for one of those final roster spots.
Okoronkwo might be tough to beat out as he has plenty of NFL experience and 7.5 sacks in his first two years with the Browns.
However, Okwara was signed to a one-year deal after playing with the Arizona Cardinals last season. Meanwhile, Smith has played sporadically in his NFL career since being taken in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Smith appeared in two games last year with the Browns after being signed to the practice squad last September.
The battle for the backup defensive end spots won’t be on Browns fans’ radar, as the team also doesn’t have a set starting quarterback and question marks at the wide receiver spot. But these next several weeks are paramount for Thomas and his future with the team.