3 Browns Already on Thin Ice In Training Camp
After much anticipation, the Cleveland Browns finally opened their training camp on Thursday. A busy offseason from general manager Andrew Berry looks to be paying off as the initial reports stemming from the first few days of practice have been extremely positive for the most part.
But while certain players have done their part by starting off camp strong, others have failed to do so. Several Browns either aren't giving it their all or their talents are on the decline, leaving their outlook with the franchise up in the air as we inch towards the 53-man roster deadline.
Keeping that in mind, here are three Browns who are already on thin ice in training camp.
1. David Bell, WR
If we're being honest, David Bell has likely been on thin ice for quite some time now. The Browns used a 2022 third-round pick on the former Purdue Boilermaker with hopes that he'd become an integral part of the offense.
Instead, he's done nothing but disappoint the fanbase more often than not. He followed up an uninspiring rookie season with an equally underwhelming second-year performance, hauling in just 14 catches for 167 receiving yards and three touchdowns across 15 games. He now owns an abysmal line of 38-381-3 through his first 31 career games (6 starts).
Although Bell enjoyed having a top-four WR role with the Browns last season, that likely won't be the case this fall. In addition to returning veterans Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore, Jerry Jeudy is now in the mix as well as rookie playmaker Jamari Thrash. That's without mentioning how fellow up-and-coming wideout Cedric Tillman has garnered plenty of training camp attention due to his budding chemistry with QB Deshaun Watson.
Cedric Tillman looks to be in great physical shape. Long and fast. Could be a breakout season for him. Here he is working on high pointing the football in the redzone. #Browns pic.twitter.com/vRutkNE1Ru
— Lance Reisland (Coach Riz) (@LanceReisland) June 5, 2024
Meanwhile, Bell has been largely invisible throughout the first few days of camp. While he's caught a pass or two from Watson, he hasn't done enough to separate himself from the pack. Continuing to fail to do so will only diminish his 53-man roster odds.
If he doesn't turn things around soon, could the Browns choose to move on from Bell before the season even begins? Spotrac indicates that Cleveland can save just over $1.1 million by cutting or trading the struggling pass-catcher, giving general manager Andrew Berry something to think about as camp continues.