The next stage of the Cleveland Browns' offseason will arrive when this year's organized team activities (OTAs) begin on Tuesday, May 27. OTAs give fans the first real glimpse of what the roster will look like following an offseason filled with changes, both via free agency and the draft, and the Browns aren't an exception after a busy spring.
Having said that, the Browns still have about a week to further flesh out their roster before OTAs begin. The offensive line could use some extra work after an underwhelming 2024 performance, and general manager Andrew Berry isn't finished upgrading the frontline, judging by Cleveland's latest move.
Browns Tryout Mississippi State C Ethan Miner Before OTAs Begin
On Monday afternoon, NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported that the Browns are bringing in ex-Mississippi State center Ethan Miner for a tryout. The undrafted rookie's opportunity comes after over a week after he attended the Los Angeles Chargers' rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
Miner is a 6-foot-2, 305-pound offensive lineman who spent three seasons at Arkansas State and another at North Texas before transferring to Mississippi State for the 2024 campaign. Although he mostly played center throughout his collegiate run, the Browns' latest tryout attendee also played over half of his snaps during the 2021 season at left guard.
While his latest season wasn't his best, Miner still finished the 2024 season with 63.9 run block and 78.6 pass protection grades on Pro Football Focus. He only allowed 12 pressures (9 QB hurries, 3 sacks) with one penalty taken across 814 blocking downs, showing the potential to be a backup OL in the NFL one day.
It'll be interesting to see if Miner impresses head coach Kevin Stefanski's staff enough to crack the 53-man roster, or at least make it to training camp. Even though the Browns are already rostering a handful of centers, Ethan Pocic's outlook is far from secure. Additionally, former 2023 sixth-rounder Luke Wypler only has 57 offensive snaps under his belt, while Justin Osborne is an undrafted rookie.
In other words, no harm comes with giving Miner a tryout. If he doesn't impress, the Browns can easily cut ties before training camp starts. But if he does ball out and grab Stefanski's attention, Cleveland could potentially have a promising OL contributor on its hands.
That's enough of a reason to continue monitoring Miner when the Browns' OTAs begin next week.