Opportunity Exists Early For Several On the Browns Roster
Photo Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Now that we officially have a full weekend of college football under our belt, it’s time to turn our attention to the NFL. Unfortunately, after the Cleveland Browns were given a cupcake last year in the opener, the 2023 path is far more challenging. They open their slate with Cincinnati Bengals, followed by matchups against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in the first four weeks. It’s high-pressure football right out the gate for Kevin Stefanski and his crew.
With the roster still fresh off preseason analysis, you can expect a few guys to be playing with their tails on fire to prove they deserve to be on the field. Remember, only 47 guys dress for the games each week, and reserves will be doing everything they can to stay on the active roster. Here are the depth players we think are primed to make a run at increased playing time in the early divisional battles:
Changes Brewing at Strong Safety
One of the biggest holes for the Browns this offseason was at safety. Not only was John Johnson cut, but the team also moved on from Ronnie Harrison. That left the team with just Grant Delpit as the lone starter from 2022, but Andrew Berry worked some magic and there is now tremendous depth at the position.
The big free-agent signing was Juan Thornhill from the Kansas City Chiefs. He is the perfect free safety fit for this team and fills a gap that has been vacant for the last three seasons. Not only does he have Super Bowl experience, but he is also a tremendous leader for the defense.
The fight will come down to Delpit and the veteran Rodney McLeod, who was brought in the back half of the offseason program.
Delpit is in a contract year fighting for a big deal after inconsistencies and injuries in his first three years in the league. McLeod has 12 years of experience but still wants to prove he has what it takes.
I hope that Delpit can keep his starting spot, because that means he is playing well, but don’t be shocked at all to see McLeod getting more and more snaps as the season progresses because of his experience and coverage ability.
A Rookie Earning His Spot
If safety was one of the biggest voids on this roster the last few years, defensive tackle was the elephant in the room that never seemed to get any attention for the Cleveland Browns. After three years in a row of trying to fill the void with a mid-round draft pick, Berry finally went all in by signing two veterans in Shelby Harris and Dalvin Tomlinson.
But, in true Berry fashion, he still drafted a big man in the middle, Siaki Ika, who was a third-round pick out of Baylor. There was a lot of shocked faces when Berry turned in the 98th pick with Ika’s name, as many believed he would be there in the fourth or even the fifth round had he waited.
However, Ika fits the exact need this team needs. He is a monster at 358 lbs. and has decent athleticism for his size. He needs to continue to work on his strength but should be able to develop into a great defensive tackle who can maul blockers and let the linebackers roam free to make plays.
I think early in the season you’ll see Tomlinson, Harris, and Jordan Elliott get a majority of the snaps, but if Ika continues to practice well and get better, Jim Schwartz won’t be able to keep him off the field all season.
A Major Change Up Front
Even though the Cleveland Browns have spent a fortune on their offensive line, pass protection continues to be a major question mark. The interior linemen all have their weaknesses, Jack Conklin has been injured at right tackle, and Jedrick Wills still hasn’t proven he is a capable starter at left tackle in the NFL.
With the Browns now housing Alex Leatherwood, Dawand Jones, and James Hudson on their roster, along with one of the best offensive line coaches in Bill Callahan, it feels like a change may be coming sooner rather than later.
Leatherwood is a former first-round pick who hasn’t lived up to expectations, while Jones and Hudson are both very young and inexperienced. Even though I think Wills will get a shot to prove that he has gotten better, I do see him losing his spot before the halfway point of the season.
Wills is a strong run blocker and moves well in space, but he continues to look slow in pass sets and gets beat around the edge far too quickly for any quarterback to have a chance to make a single read, let alone a progression.
Even though it’s tough to replace a starter on an NFL team, the fact that the Cleveland Browns are expected to be a competitor and have so many players vying for playing time, just shows you how much depth the team has.
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