Predicting Surprise Roster Cuts For Cleveland
Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns are down to one last preseason game before the final roster must be set on August 29 at 4 p.m. There is a good chance we won’t see any starters in their exhibition match against the Kansas City Chiefs this upcoming Saturday, but there will be plenty of good football as the second- and third-string players fight for their roster spots.
Each year there are always a few surprises to fans as the official 53-man roster is set. It’s easy to fall in love with an overpaid veteran or undrafted rookie who shined in camp, but it’s important to trust the process. Here are a few players who fans won’t be happy to see get cut.
David Bell – Wide Receiver
It was just two drafts ago that the Cleveland Browns used a third-round pick on Purdue standout David Bell, but his time with the team could be coming to an end.
What Bell has going for him is that he’s young, really hasn’t gotten a shot, and the team spent big draft capital on him.
What he doesn’t have going for him is that Austin Watkins was likely the preseason MVP for the league and Andrew Berry has some pressure on him for this team to win now.
The biggest question for Bell is what Cleveland does with Marquise Goodwin, who they signed in free agency. Goodwin is out with an illness, and there hasn’t been a clear update on what his availability will look like moving forward.
Additionally, how sold are they on Jakeem Grant returning kicks? I think Berry is tired of mediocre special teams and will keep him, but he could change his mind to keep his 2022 third-round pick.
Bell has strong hands but lacks athleticism and will struggle to get open in tight man-to-man coverage. I would fully support letting him go to ensure a guy like Watkins and Goodwin (if able to return) has a spot on the roster.
Drew Forbes – Guard
Even though Drew Forbes was only a sixth-round pick in 2019 by former GM John Dorsey, he has somehow managed to stay on this roster with very little production. Remember, Forbes was one of the guys who opted out of the 2020 season, so he is finally in the last year of his rookie contract.
Forbes fits the mold for this offense as he is athletic and quick to pull in the wide-zone running scheme. Unfortunately, he also lacks strength and struggles in pass protection (as does most of the offensive line).
On top of that, guys like Nick Harris and Luke Wypler, who are listed as centers, both deserve to make this team and will likely occupy one additional guard spot. Michael Dunn has also done a fantastic job at stepping in at tackle and guard and has a lot of game experience Forbes lacks.
Guard is a position where I would look for Berry to find a roster-cut addition. You may think the depth chart count seems low without Forbes, but I expect Berry to look for a big-bodied pass protector to help in case of an injury to Wyatt Teller or Joel Bitonio.
Jordan Elliott – Defensive Tackle
Unfortunately, it appears that the end is near for Jordan Elliott, who was in Berry’s first draft class. The Browns have been weak at the position for the last three seasons, and enough depth has finally been acquired that I don’t see him making the team.
The roster locks right now include Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris, and Siaki Ika, and there are likely two or three other spots open. I would argue it looks more like two with the depth they have acquired at defensive end.
Elliott could make the roster over a guy like Tommy Togiai, but I think Togiai’s ceiling is sufficiently higher than Elliott’s that Berry keeps him. It also looks like Maurice Hurst is back to form and could be a real contributor if he can stay healthy for a full season.
With Elliott, you just know what you are getting already. He is a capable body who can give you some snaps, but he lacks size and quickness and can get caught out of position too often.
With a group of Tomlinson, Harris, Ika, Hurst, and Togiai, there is a great mixture of size and athleticism that give Schwartz a ton of options on defense to disguise fronts and rotate players to keep them fresh.
The toughest job for a GM is to move on from a player a year too early vs. a year too late. For all three of these players, I would argue that keeping them on the 2023 roster is giving them the extra chance that they don’t deserve. But for Bell and Elliott, they were both drafted by Berry, which could make the cut more difficult to make.
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