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Cleveland Browns 53-Man Roster Projection - Final Version & Player Notes

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 04:04:23 -0000

This will be my final 53-man roster projection for the Cleveland Browns, since cuts are due in by Friday night at 9:00 PM EDT. Following the Browns' 28-20 loss to the Bears, Shurmur said that players will be notified of the cuts some time in the afternoon. We will have an open thread on Dawgs By Nature in the morning for you to discuss all of the cuts going on league-wide, so be sure to hang around.

Here are the previous iterations of my roster projections if you would like to see my thought process from the beginning to the end of camp: Version 1 (Pre-Training Camp) | Version 2 (After Packers Game) | Version 3 (Before Bears Game)

This final version, which can be seen after the jump, reflects what went down in the final preseason game and what my "gut" feelings are (hat tip: Butch Davis).

Pos	Final Roster	Players Cut
QB	Brandon Weeden Colt McCoy Seneca Wallace	Thaddeus Lewis
RB	Trent Richardson Montario Hardesty Brandon Jackson Chris Ogbonnaya	Adonis Thomas*
FB	Owen Marecic	Brad Smelley*
WR	Greg Little Mohamed Massaquoi Josh Gordon Travis Benjamin Joshua Cribbs Jordan Norwood	~~Carlton Mitchell~~ Josh Cooper* Rod Windsor* Bert Reed Jermaine Saffold Owen Spencer
TE	Ben Watson Jordan Cameron Evan Moore Alex Smith	Dan Gronkowski
OL	Joe Thomas Jason Pinkston Alex Mack Shawn Lauvao Mitchell Schwartz John Greco Ryan Miller Oniel Cousins	Stanley Daniels Dominic Alford* Jarrod Shaw Garth Gerhart Matt Cleveland Jake Anderson Jeff Shugarts
DL	Ahtyba Rubin Jabaal Sheard Frostee Rucker Emmanuel Stephens Brian Schaefering Scott Paxson Juqua Parker John Hughes Billy Winn	~~Marcus Benard~~ ~~Auston English~~ Brian Sanford Kiante Tripp William Green* Ronnie Cameron* Ernest Owusu
LB	D'Qwell Jackson Kaluka Maiava James-Michael Johnson L.J. Fort Craig Robertson Benjamin Jacobs	Quinton Spears ~~Emmanuel Acho~~ ~~JoJo Dickson~~
S	T.J. Ward Eric Hagg Ray Ventrone David Sims	Usama Young
CB	Joe Haden Sheldon Brown Dimitri Patterson Buster Skrine Trevin Wade	James Dockery Tashaun Gipson* Johnson Bademosi ~~Emanuel Davis~~ ~~Antwuan Reed~~
ST	Christian Yount Phil Dawson Reggie Hodges	Jeff Wolfert Spencer Lanning

Already on PUP: DT Phil Taylor
Already on IR: LB Chris Gocong, LB Emmanuel Acho, FB Eddie Williams
Projected Suspension List: LB Scott Fujita

Here are the changes that were made since the previous version:

Moved to Active Roster (Left Side): OT Oniel Cousins, LB Benjamin Jacobs
Moved to List of Cuts (Right Side): OT Stanley Daniels, S Usama Young

General Roster Projection Notes

On the surface, there weren't too many things that changed. I'll explain my decisions below.
I don't think Stanley Daniels did anything to lose the roster spot I gave him in version three of my projections. On the same note, since Oniel Cousins did not play again, he did not do anything to show he warranted a roster spot. Why the swap? I was hoping that John Greco would show enough at left tackle to make Cousins expendable, and I did not come away impressed enough.
When the regular season comes, Greco will already be filling the role of emergency center and backup guard. I'm not sure if he can wear all of the hats as a backup. Maybe we can try to mature Ryan Miller some more at left tackle through practice and let Cousins see action as the backup right guard.
The other change swapped two defensive players: LB Benjamin Jacobs and S Usama Young. I was a little alarmed to see that Young did not play at all against the Bears. The coaching staff has made up their mind on him already. He might not be in jeopardy, but I am taking him off for now.
I originally went with just five linebackers to start the year (assuming Scott Fujita serves a suspension), but the injury scare to James-Michael Johnson changed that. JMJ suffered an oblique injury, and x-rays were negative. Still, we don't know if he is going to miss any time. With cuts due so shortly after the game, Jacobs is an insurance policy, even if he's just temporary. Jacobs led the team with seven tackles against the Bears and also made some plays on special teams.
I still don't see why Montario Hardesty is in danger of being cut, given the question mark that remains with Trent Richardson. However, Brandon Jackson looked solid against the Bears and has outperformed Hardesty over the past two weeks. He should be the team's primary backup behind Richardson to begin the year.
I was not a big fan of Adonis Thomas during the first preseason game. Over the past three weeks, he's done a good job fulfilling his duties. You had to love the extra block he threw on a scramble for Thaddeus Lewis against the Bears. He could make the roster over Chris Ogbonnaya, but I still he's more practice squad bound. I feel Ogbonnaya on the 53-man roster is my biggest "reach" of the entire list, although leaving James Dockery off is tough too.
If the Browns are going to get someone off waivers, let it be Tyler Clutts if the Bears let him loose. We liked him last year, and he was the multi-dimensional guy we thought Brad Smelley might be. That's not to say Smelley can't do those things, but he really wasn't given the opportunity. Clutts hit on all cylinders here. I hated seeing Owen Marecic whiff on a block early on that got Colt McCoy sacked. Honestly, I don't really care what happens with the fullback position at this point. I'm not going to be crushed if someone doesn't make the final cut.
I still like Rod Windsor as a receiver and want him on the practice squad. Getting blocked back into Reggie Hodges didn't help his credibility on special teams, though. Josh Cooper received minimal playing time, furthering my belief that he won't make the 53-man roster.
If Joshua Cribbs does not make the final cut, it will be a crime against humanity. I think he's perfectly safe, but many others have questioned whether he will make it or not. He is very important to this team's success, and in my opinion, is still the team's best wide receiver in terms of consistency.
Pat Shurmur's mind was already made up about the Browns' backup quarterback situation, he said in his post-game presser. He knows who No. 2 will be, but he won't tell. He didn't indicate that a decision had been made on the No. 3 guy yet. I'd still like to see the three guys I projected on the final roster. I wish Thaddeus Lewis would have had a better night -- a little discouraging to see so many misplaced balls to open receivers, one pass of which bounced off the ground and into Shurmur.
I made a few practice squad changes. I removed CB Johnson Bademosi and added CB Tashaun Gipson. It wasn't just because of his interception. The Browns are more likely going to want to develop a guy who did some good things at cornerback vs. special teams, and I think Gipson fit that bill. I also added DE William Green to the practice squad. He finished the game with four tackles.
My final practice squad projection is RB Adonis Thomas, FB Brad Smelley, WR Josh Cooper, WR Rod Windsor, OL Dominic Alford, DE William Green, DT Ronnie Cameron, and CB Tashaun Gipson.

Feel free to tell me any changes you would make to the list in the comments section below! Please note that this roster projection will also double as my game review for this week, since after final cuts are made, the typical "review" of the game is pointless.

Cleveland Browns 53-Man Roster Projection (Version 3)

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:51:10 -0000

Since my previous roster projection for the Cleveland Browns, a lot of moves were made to get the roster down to 75 players. After the jump, my third roster projection has been updated to reflect the cuts, injury-related moves, and more. I will have one final roster projection immediately following this Thursday's preseason game against the Bears.

Pos	Final Roster	Players Cut
QB	Brandon Weeden Colt McCoy Seneca Wallace	Thaddeus Lewis
RB	Trent Richardson Montario Hardesty Brandon Jackson Chris Ogbonnaya	Adonis Thomas*
FB	Owen Marecic	Brad Smelley*
WR	Greg Little Mohamed Massaquoi Josh Gordon Travis Benjamin Joshua Cribbs Jordan Norwood	~~Carlton Mitchell~~ Josh Cooper* Rod Windsor* Bert Reed Jermaine Saffold Owen Spencer
TE	Ben Watson Jordan Cameron Evan Moore Alex Smith	Dan Gronkowski
OL	Joe Thomas Jason Pinkston Alex Mack Shawn Lauvao Mitchell Schwartz John Greco Ryan Miller Stanley Daniels	Oniel Cousins Dominic Alford* Jarrod Shaw Garth Gerhart Matt Cleveland Jake Anderson Jeff Shugarts
DL	Ahtyba Rubin Jabaal Sheard Frostee Rucker Emmanuel Stephens Brian Schaefering Scott Paxson Juqua Parker John Hughes Billy Winn	~~Marcus Benard~~ ~~Auston English~~ Brian Sanford Kiante Tripp William Green Ronnie Cameron* Ernest Owusu
LB	D'Qwell Jackson Kaluka Maiava James-Michael Johnson L.J. Fort Craig Robertson	Benjamin Jacobs* Quinton Spears ~~Emmanuel Acho~~ ~~JoJo Dickson~~
S	T.J. Ward Eric Hagg Usama Young Ray Ventrone David Sims
CB	Joe Haden Sheldon Brown Dimitri Patterson Buster Skrine Trevin Wade	James Dockery Tashaun Gipson Johnson Bademosi* ~~Emanuel Davis~~ ~~Antwuan Reed~~
ST	Christian Yount Phil Dawson Reggie Hodges	Jeff Wolfert Spencer Lanning

Already on PUP: DT Phil Taylor
Already on IR: LB Chris Gocong, LB Emmanuel Acho, FB Eddie Williams
Projected Suspension List: LB Scott Fujita

Listed below is what has changed since the last time. Any position not listed did not have any changes.

General Roster Projection Notes

Running Back: I moved RB Chris Ogbonnaya to the active roster, keeping four running backs for the first time in my roster projections. There is just too big of a question mark at this position due to the injury concerns. Trent Richardson has missed most of camp after having his knee cleaned up. Montario Hardesty had some soreness the other day, and Brandon Jackson did not play all of last year. Ogbonnaya has been slowed by an ankle injury, but I think he'll stick around until Richardson shows he is good-to-go.
Fullback / Tight End: Based on the preseason, it has become apparent that TE Alex Smith is still valued heavily by the coaching staff. I won't budge and get rid of Evan Moore, so that makes rookie seventh-round pick Brad Smelley expendable and headed for the practice squad.
Offensive Line: OT Oniel Cousins has really struggled in camp; you can see why the Ravens cut him outright last year. After being slowed by an injury over the past week or so, he could be headed for the same path. Against the Packers, OL John Greco showed his versatility by playing some left tackle -- he looked a lot better than Cousins there. I tried to look at each of the other lineman during Colt McCoy's drive, and OG Stanley Daniels, who has made a couple of starts with Denver in the past, caught my eye the most. Therefore, I swapped Cousins and Daniels.
Defensive Line: DE Marcus Benard was moved to the "waived" side after the team waived/injured him on Monday. With Auston English also waived, I don't see another defensive end who has made a splash. I think it says something that despite being bothered by an injury the past few weeks, the team did not placed DT Scott Paxson on the waived/injured list. With Phil Taylor officially on the PUP, the Browns may want to carry five defensive tackles to keep the rotation fresh up front. Paxson had replaced Benard in this version.
Linebacker: LB Emmanuel Acho was placed on injured reserve. This position looks really thin, and I don't know if Cleveland would really go into the season with just five linebackers. This is something that could change based on who I see playing in the Bears game. Their sixth linebacker, Scott Fujita, won't count toward the roster for the first three games.
Cornerback / Safety: I added CB Johnson Bademosi to the practice squad, removing English from the practice squad in the process.

Feel free to tell me any changes you would make to the list in the comments section below!

Cleveland Browns 53-Man Roster Projection (Version 2)

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:25:10 -0000

It has been three weeks since my pre-training camp roster projection for the Cleveland Browns. Injuries have made it difficult at times to judge expected roles for players on this team, but there are still quite a few changes that have been made. There will probably be two more roster projections before final cuts are made, but I feel a lot more confident about this list than I did in the first version.

Pos	Final Roster	Players Cut
QB	Brandon Weeden Colt McCoy Seneca Wallace	Thaddeus Lewis
RB	Trent Richardson Brandon Jackson Montario Hardesty	Adonis Thomas* Chris Ogbonnaya
FB	Owen Marecic Brad Smelley	Eddie Williams
WR	Greg Little Mohamed Massaquoi Joshua Cribbs Josh Gordon Jordan Norwood Travis Benjamin	Carlton Mitchell Josh Cooper* Rod Windsor* Bert Reed Jermaine Saffold Owen Spencer
TE	Ben Watson Evan Moore Jordan Cameron	Alex Smith Dan Gronkowski
OL	Joe Thomas Jason Pinkston Alex Mack Shawn Lauvao Mitchell Schwartz John Greco Ryan Miller Oniel Cousins	Dominic Alford* Jarrod Shaw Garth Gerhart Matt Cleveland Jake Anderson Stanley Daniels Jeff Shugarts
DL	Ahtyba Rubin Jabaal Sheard Frostee Rucker Emmanuel Stephens Brian Schaefering Juqua Parker Marcus Benard John Hughes Billy Winn	Scott Paxson Brian Sanford Auston English* Kiante Tripp William Green Ronnie Cameron*
LB	D'Qwell Jackson Kaluka Maiava James-Michael Johnson L.J. Fort Craig Robertson Emmanuel Acho	Benjamin Jacobs* Quinton Spears JoJo Dickson
S	T.J. Ward Eric Hagg Usama Young Ray Ventrone David Sims	Johnson Bademosi
CB	Joe Haden Sheldon Brown Dimitri Patterson Buster Skrine Trevin Wade	James Dockery Emanuel Davis Tashaun Gipson Antwuan Reed*
ST	Christian Yount Phil Dawson Reggie Hodges	Jeff Wolfert Spencer Lanning

Projected PUP: DT Phil Taylor
Projected Suspension List: LB Scott Fujita

Listed below is what has changed since the last time. Any position not listed did not have any changes.

General Roster Projection Notes

Quarterback: I have moved Colt McCoy back to the 53-man roster, meaning Thaddeus Lewis has to be cut. McCoy could still very well be traded, but for now, I felt this list should reflect a scenario that assumes trades will not take place.
Wide Receiver: I put Rod Windsor on the practice squad instead of Bert Reed.
Defensive Line: I no longer believe Phil Taylor will be brought back early, so he is off the 53-man roster and in limbo (PUP list). I am also going to guess that the recent injury to Scott Paxson will also land him on an injury list, or he'll be waived in favor of Brian Schaefering. The other addition here is Emmanuel Stephens, who has seen first-team reps over the past two weeks with Frostee Rucker out. Stephens has really benefited by Rucker and Benard being banged up this camp, because his odds were looking nil three weeks ago. I also put DL Ronnie Cameron on the practice squad, but he probably won't make it there before being claimed by another team.
Linebacker: I had to take Chris Gocong off the roster since he will likely go on injured reserve. I also removed special teams linebacker Quinton Spears. Taking those two roster spots are rookies Craig Robertson and L.J. Fort, both of whom are having solid camps, making big plays, and looking good on special teams.
Cornerback / Safety: I was hoping a safety would step up a few weeks ago, and that's exactly what David Sims has done in the absence of Usama Young. With that addition, I had to subtract a cornerback. Sorry, James Dockery -- it was either him or Trevin Wade, and Wade has looked too good the past few weeks and saw some work with the first-team defense this past week at nickelback. I also made CB Antwuan Reed a practice squad player.

Feel free to tell me any changes you would make to the list in the comments section below!

First Depth Chart for Cleveland Browns Unveiled

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 01:56:11 -0000

The Cleveland Browns unveiled their first depth chart of the year on Monday, as they are required to do so by the league in preparation for the team's upcoming exhibition game against the Detroit Lions. As always, not all of the spots on the depth chart have to make sense, nor do they guarantee a player's roster spot is safe. However, we still like to think of the depth chart as having some indication as to who is more likely to make the final roster.

OFFENSE

QB: Brandon Weeden, Colt McCoy, Seneca Wallace, Thaddeus Lewis
RB: Trent Richardson, Montario Hardesty, Brandon Jackson, Chris Ogbonnaya, Adonis Thomas
FB: Owen Marecic, Brad Smelley
WR1: Greg Little, Josh Gordon, Joshua Cribbs, Carlton Mitchell, Owen Spencer, Jermaine Saffold
WR2: Mohamed Massaquoi, Travis Benjamin, Jordan Norwood, Rod Windsor, Josh Cooper, Bert Reed
TE: Benjamin Watson, Jordan Cameron, Alex Smith, Evan Moore, Dan Gronkowski
LT: Joe Thomas, Oniel Cousins, Jeff Shugarts
LG: Jason Pinkston, Jarrod Shaw, Matt Cleveland
C: Alex Mack, John Greco, Garth Gerhart
RG: Shawn Lauvao, Dominic Alford, Stanley Daniels
RT: Mitchell Schwartz, Ryan Miller, Jake Anderson

DEFENSE

LDE: Jabaal Sheard, Juqua Parker, Brian Sanford, William Green
DT: Ahtyba Rubin, Billy Winn
DT: John Hughes, Scott Paxson, Brian Schaefering, Kiante Tripp
RDE: Frostee Rucker, Emmanuel Stephens, Marcus Benard, Auston English
SLB: Scott Fujita, James-Michael Johnson, Emmanuel Acho
MLB: D'Qwell Jackson, Benjamin Jacobs, L.J. Fort
WLB: Kaluka Maiava, Craig Robertson, Quinton Spears, JoJo Dickson
LCB: Joe Haden, Buster Skrine, Trevin Wade, Johnson Bademosi
FS: Eric Hagg, Ray Ventrone, Tashaun Gipson
SS: T.J. Ward, Usama Young, David Sims, Emanuel Davis
RCB: Sheldon Brown, Dimitri Patterson, James Dockery, Antwuan Reed

SPECIAL TEAMS

K: Phil Dawson, Jeff Wolfert
P: Reggie Hodges, Spencer Lanning
H: Reggie Hodges
LS: Christian Yount
KR: Joshus Cribbs, Buster Skrine, Travis Benjamin
PR: Joshua Cribbs, Travis Benjamin, Jordan Norwood

NOTES

The "big news," although not the least bit surprising, was that head coach Pat Shurmur finally confirmed that Brandon Weeden will be the team's starting quarterback against the Detroit Lions. As a few of you have already been discussing, Colt McCoy was not too fond of the decision, but he saw the writing on the wall a long time ago.

At running back and wide receiver, the depth chart matches the number of reps receivers have had in practice, as Greg Little, Mohammed Massaquoi, Josh Gordon, and Travis Benjamin are the top four guys.

Tight end is a hard one to figure out. Evan Moore just returned to practice for the first time this season on Monday, but he is listed fourth on the depth chart at tight end. I am going to assume that he would normally be listed second, but you never know.

On the offensive line, Oniel Cousins would play second-string left tackle, with Ryan Miller getting a shot at right tackle. Maybe that says they'd rather have the veteran available in case something happens to Joe Thomas.

The defensive line has a few surprises. First, John Hughes is listed in Phil Taylor's spot, even though Scott Paxson and Brian Schaefering have been getting more practice reps there. I'll have to "see it to believe it" (that Hughes starts over them against the Lions). The other surprise is at right defensive end, where Emmanuel Stephens is listed ahead of Marcus Benard. With Frostee Rucker missing a couple of practices, Benard had been filling in for him on the first-team defense, according to reports.

At linebacker, Craig Robertson is listed right behind starter Kaluka Maiava. L.J. Fort is listed third at middle linebacker, behind Benjamin Jacobs. There are no surprises at cornerback or safety. The final thing to note is that Travis Benjamin is already ahead of Jordan Norwood as a punt returner, which is another downer for Norwood.

Cleveland Browns 53-Man Roster Projection (Pre-Training Camp Edition)

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 16:18:17 -0000

It is that time of year again! With the Cleveland Browns scheduled to hold their first full-squad session of training camp today, I am ready for my first 53-man roster projection of the season. This pre-training camp edition is my current "feel" for how things will go, but it could change drastically over the next couple of weeks based on reports from training camp and performances in the exhibition games.

Pos	Final Roster	Players Cut
QB	Brandon Weeden Seneca Wallace Thaddeus Lewis	Colt McCoy
RB	Trent Richardson Brandon Jackson Montario Hardesty	Adnois Thomas* Chris Ogbonnaya
FB	Owen Marecic Brad Smelley	Eddie Williams
WR	Greg Little Mohamed Massaquoi Joshua Cribbs Josh Gordon Jordan Norwood Travis Benjamin	Carlton Mitchell Josh Cooper* Rod Windsor Bert Reed* Jermaine Saffold Owen Spencer
TE	Ben Watson Evan Moore Jordan Cameron	Alex Smith Dan Gronkowski
OL	Joe Thomas Jason Pinkston Alex Mack Shawn Lauvao Mitchell Schwartz John Greco Ryan Miller Oniel Cousins	Dominic Alford* Jarrod Shaw Garth Gerhart Matt Cleveland Jake Anderson Stanley Daniels Jeff Shugarts
DL	Ahtyba Rubin Phil Taylor Jabaal Sheard Frostee Rucker Scott Paxson Juqua Parker Marcus Benard John Hughes Billy Winn	Brian Schaefering Brian Sanford Emmanuel Stephens Auston English* Kiante Tripp William Green
LB	D'Qwell Jackson Chris Gocong Kaluka Maiava James-Michael Johnson Emmanuel Acho Quinton Spears	Benjamin Jacobs* L.J. Fort* JoJo Dickson Craig Robertson
S	T.J. Ward Eric Hagg Usama Young Ray Ventrone	David Sims* Johnson Bademosi
CB	Joe Haden Sheldon Brown Dimitri Patterson Buster Skrine James Dockery Trevin Wade	Emanuel Davis Tashaun Gipson Antwuan Reed
ST	Christian Yount Phil Dawson Reggie Hodges	Jeff Wolfert Spencer Lanning

The above list contains 53 players that I kept, and 36 players that I cut. Linebacker Scott Fujita will begin the season with a three-game suspension, but he will not count toward the roster limit during that stretch.

Every year, I fill in each player's name either on the "roster" side or the "cut" side, without tallying whether or not I have surpassed the 53-player limit. Then, I count up the left side, and if I am over 53 players, I weigh my options and decide who the "tough" cuts are. In 2009 and 2010, my initial count came to 55 players, meaning I had to cut two players I initially wanted. Last year, due to the lockout, my initial tally only came to 47 players, so I had the joy of adding a couple of guys. This year, I initially came to 54 players, meaning I had to move one guy over to the "cut" side.

General Roster Projection Notes

In trying to get down to 53 players (from 54 players), The two positions I looked at were cornerback and running back. I originally had Chris Ogbonnaya on board as the team's fourth running back, but I decided to move him to the other side over Montario Hardesty. It was a tough decision, because I think I actually prefer Ogbonnaya at this point. I'm trying to look at it from an optimistic viewpoint that Hardesty will be a good, short-yardage/pounding back. I should have a more definitive decision on these two after the first two weeks of camp.
My alternative was to cut James Dockery or Trevin Wade. I kept both because I think Dockery can drop down to safety, making it an even five safeties and five cornerbacks. Both guys can contribute on special teams too.
In my initial run-through, I put defensive tackle Phil Taylor on the 53-man roster, rather than the physically unable to perform list. If he misses the first four weeks, it can be a benefit to let him start practicing in Week 5 or Week 6. With the PUP, you'd have to wait a couple of weeks longer.

Because of that decision, I knew I was going to have to cut one guy between Scott Paxson and Brian Schaefering. I think both guys are pretty equivalent in their abilities, but with two rookies needing to see action (John Hughes and Billy Winn), one of the veterans were expendable. It could go either way, but Paxson has the benefit of having been healthy in minicamps/OTA's, while Schaefering sat out as he recovered form surgery. If Taylor is PUP'ed to begin the year, though, Schaefering is right back on.
Brad Smelley over Alex Smith is a popular pick right now, so I am rolling with that early on.
Deciding on the team's sixth linebacker was kind of a crapshoot, but you have to pick someone while Fujita is suspended for the first three games. I picked Quinton Spears, and here is why: there is a good chance that the sixth guy will be waived in Week 4. Spears has special teams experience, but if you promote a guy like L.J. Fort or Benjamin Jacobs instead, you may lose some practice squad eligibility down the road. With Spears, he is no longer practice squad eligible already, and you can use him if necessary on special teams for those first couple of games.
I decided to list Colt McCoy in the "cut" column, simply because I don't envision him remaining with the team. I think somebody will offer a low-round draft pick for him, perhaps just a conditional one, to take him off Cleveland's hands at some point.
The asterisks represent my projected practice squad. It consists of RB Adonis Thomas, WR Josh Cooper, WR Bert Reed, OL Dominic Alford, DE Auston English, LB Benjamin Jacobs, LB L.J. Fort, and S David Sims.

Feel free to share your roster projections here, or some changes you would make to mine. Cleveland Browns training camp officially opens to the public Saturday morning!

The Sunday Five: Fans Believe Winn Could Start, Sheard to be Improved

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:38:54 -0000

In this week's edition of "The Sunday Five" we take a look at more of the results from our training camp preview polls, covering the defensive line and offensive line. I also add a few notes about the addition of wide receiver Josh Gordon to the Cleveland Browns.

Last week, the first preview we did involved the starters on the defensive line. The first question was, "What type of season will Jabaal Sheard have in his sophomore year?" 56% of voters felt that he would either have the same type of season as last year, or be slightly improved. 37% of voters believed he would be lights out or "one of the best in the league." Only a mere 6% of voters thought he would fall into a sophomore slump. I think Sheard's has the energy to be a lights out player, but that can only take him so far. The fact that he won't have Phil Taylor playing next to him could force him to see more double teams this year. Then again, the addition of Frostee Rucker and Juqua Parker to the other side of the line could help him out. When you cancel those two elements out, I would fall into the crowd that thinks he'll be slightly improved this year. We don't need Sheard to be elite to contend -- we just need the rest of the players on defense to play at a high level too.

In part two of our defensive line preview, I asked the following question: "Who do you think will start in place of Phil Taylor?" The candidates were veterans Scott Paxson and Brian Schaefering, and rookies John Hughes and Billy Winn. The leading vote-getter was Winn (40%), followed by Paxson (24%), Hughes (20%), and Schaefering (14%). Even though Winn is currently favored among fans, the fact that everyone received a decent amount of votes tells you just how murky the position is without Taylor. Winn was the team's lower draft pick among the two rookies taken, and obviously has less experience than Paxson and Schaefering. My vote currently goes to Paxson, but neither Paxson or Schaefering are ideal long-term candidates. That's why it would be ideal if Hughes or Winn show something unique in camp that pushes them into the starting lineup.

In part three of our defensive line preview, I asked the following question: "Will Auston English make the 53-man roster?" 70% of the voters said "no" because of how crowded the line is, while 30% of voters think he'll beat out someone like Marcus Benard. I don't think there's room on the roster for him, but he can be stashed on the practice squad.

In part one of our offensive line preview, I asked the following question: "If you had to replace someone on the offensive line, who would it be?" An astounding 90% of the votes went to Shawn Lauvao, but honestly, it was poorly chosen poll on my part. It is fairly obvious that left tackle, center, and right tackle won't be replaced, and the coaches liked what Jason Pinkston did at left guard last year. To the casual reader, the number of votes Lauvao received make it look like we're begging for the guy to be replaced. In reality, he seems like a capable guard on what could be one of the league's stronger offensive lines.

In part two of our offensive line preview, I randomly asked the following question: "Looking at the Browns' depth on the offensive line, is there still a need to bring Eric Steinbach back?" 64% of the voters said "no" because they'd rather let the team focus on developing the youngsters. 34% of the voters said "yes" to bringing Steinbach back. Of those who said "yes," 61% thought it should be as depth or as a mentor, while 39% thought it should be as a starter at left or right guard. Unless it accepts the minimum veteran salary, I wouldn't bring him back at this point.

Lastly, in part three of our offensive line preview, I asked the following question about the young/no-name linemen: "If the Browns decide to carry an extra lineman on the 53-man roster, who should it be?" The results were as follows: OG Matt Cleveland (24%), OT Jake Anderson (20%), OT Dominic Alford (15%), OT J.B. Shugarts (14%), OG Jarrod Shaw (10%), C Garth Gerhart (10%), and OG Stanley Daniels (4%). No luck for Daniels, who has the most experience. I wonder if Cleveland got the most votes because of his last name. My pick is Alford.

Two weeks ago, I don't know if anyone here had ever heard of Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon, and the thought of him being on the Browns' roster for the 2012 season certainly didn't cross anyone's mind. Fast forward to today, when Gordon is a member of the Browns and we're hearing a lot of praise about the kid. Cleveland spent a second-round pick, so they lost their second-round pick in 2013.

Insiders around the league reported that no other team submitted a second-round bid for Gordon. It was also reported that while many teams scouted him, Cleveland was the only team Gordon met with. If Gordon did indeed have first-round potential in 2013, why wouldn't another team take a high flier on him, or at the very least spend more time interviewing him? Who knows. For now, let's chalk it up to "their loss, not ours."

Could Cleveland have used a third-rounder for Gordon instead? Perhaps. Tom Heckert any company didn't want to risk it, though. Even though they owned the second spot in each round, there was still one team ahead of them (Buffalo) that could have spent a third rounder and been awarded Gordon. Spending a second-round pick was the only sure-thing for Heckert and company, and now they've done everything they possibly could have to revamp this offense via the draft. Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson, Mitchell Schwartz, and Josh Gordon. I know all-rookie teams are no guarantee to come in and "light things up," but how is that group going to make this team worse than last year? I see a group with a lot of potential and one that will take a lot of teams by surprise early on in the season.

Cleveland Browns Training Camp 2012: OL Preview (The Rest)

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:50:43 -0000

This is the third and final part of our offensive line preview for training camp. Part one covered the starters, and part two covered the primary backups. You probably won't hear very much about the players in today's preview during training camp, but it'll still be good to know who they are when evaluating the preseason games or who might make the practice squad. The players in today's preview include Jarrod Shaw, Stanley Daniels, Jake Anderson, Matt Cleveland, and J.B. Shugarts.

11. JARROD SHAW - PRACTICE SQUAD OFFENSIVE GUARD

Jarrod Shaw (#74)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 316
Age: 24
Experience: 1 year
College: Tennessee
Note: Spent all of 2011 season on Browns' practice squad.

Shaw has a similar story to Dominic Alford, who was covered in part two of this series, in the sense that he spent all of last season on the team's practice squad. For that reason, you would figure that he has a slight leg up on some of the other unknown linemen.

During his senior year at Tennessee in 2010, Shaw started all 13 games; eight at right guard, and five at left guard. If John Greco and Ryan Miller have the backup guard spots locked up, it is hard to see Shaw having a very good chance at making the final roster. He should be fighting for a practice squad spot for the second consecutive year.

Final Roster Odds: 5%
Practice Squad Odds: 75%

12. STANLEY DANIELS - SEMI-VETERAN BACKUP OFFENSIVE GUARD

Stanley Daniels (#64)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 320
Age: 27
Experience: 2 years
College: Washington
Note: Several years of experience...started 4 games at LG in 2010 with Denver.

Daniels was signed to a reserve/futures contract by the Browns back in January. He has been around since the 2007 season, when he was signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent. Since then, he has bounced between the Jets, Packers, and Broncos before arriving in Cleveland.

His history shows that he has used two years of practice squad eligibility, and he has one accrued season (but it is under nine games). Based on that, Daniels might be a candidate for a third-year practice squad player, but I don't think that will happen. Due to his "experience" at other teams' camps for a few years, Daniels could end up looking more polished than some of the other backups. In 2010, he actually started the first four games of the season for Denver at left guard, but his role diminished after that. He was cut prior to last season by Denver and did not play anywhere else. Before he was cut, here is what Mile High Report said about Daniels during the preseason:

The 320 lb'er can still get pushed back, but he has learned how to be where he needs to now more than last year and is in position to make his blocks. He also moves pretty well for a big guy, which is an important trait, but he still isn't making good contact on 2nd level cuts and blocks

Final Roster Odds: 10%
Practice Squad Odds: 25%

13. JAKE ANDERSON - UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT OFFENSIVE TACKLE

Jake Anderson (#63)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 305
Age: 23
Experience: Rookie
College: Akron
Note: Has the Keisel beard going for him...could see action at tackle or guard.

What stands out when you look at Mr. Anderson? That BEARD! I almost thought we invited Brett Keisel to camp for a second. In an interview with the ABJ, Anderson said that he is keeping the beard until the Browns tell him to go home.

Anderson had durability at Akron, as he played in all 48 games during his career, most of which came at right tackle. At rookie minicamp, he saw action at left tackle, and offensive line coach George Warhop noted that he might see some action at guard too.

Final Roster Odds: <5%
Practice Squad Odds: 50%

14. MATT CLEVELAND - UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT OFFENSIVE GUARD

Matt Cleveland (#63)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 295
Age: 22
Experience: Rookie
College: Idaho
Note: He is Cleveland, but he's not from Cleveland...will probably shift to guard.

If anyone is going to buy a Browns jersey, why not have "Cleveland" on the back? It's going to be awkward referencing this guy's name and not having casual readers confuse it with the team's name.

Cleveland started 38 games at left tackle with Idaho, but he figures to be a guard at the NFL level. SI had the following to say about him:

Cleveland was durable and productive on the college level yet has marginal physical skills and limited upside for the NFL. His pass protection skills could help him catch on as a backup weak-side guard.

Final Roster Odds: <5%
Practice Squad Odds: 50%

15. J.B. SHUGARTS - UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT OFFENSIVE TACKLE

J.B. Shugarts (#68)
Height: 6-6
Weight: 305
Age: 22
Experience: Rookie
College: Ohio State
Note: Fans might be familiar with him from Buckeye days...lots of false starts.

Many Browns fans who double as Ohio State Buckeye fans will be familiar with Shugarts, a three-year starter at right tackle. I didn't watch the Buckeyes often enough, but it seems like he wasn't exactly a fan favorite due to the number of false starts he had.

Here is an interview Shugarts had back during Day 1 of rookie minicamp. One scouting report says that Shugarts has some good strength, but "struggles to gain leverage and keep his balance in both the run and pass game."

Final Roster Odds: <5%
Practice Squad Odds: 25%

That's it for our preview for the offensive line! Next up, we will take a look at the tight end position. Before we get there, let's do one more poll for the offensive line: if the Browns decide to carry an extra offensive lineman, who should it be (note: players from yesterday's column are listed too)?

Poll

If the Browns decide to carry an extra lineman on the 53-man roster, who should it be?

OT Dominic Alford

29 votes

OT Jake Anderson

44 votes

OT J.B. Shugarts

28 votes

OG Jarrod Shaw

20 votes

OG Stanley Daniels

10 votes

OG Matt Cleveland

90 votes

C Garth Gerhart

22 votes

243 votes | Poll has closed

Cleveland Browns - List of Undrafted Free Agents Reportedly Signed

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 01:31:17 -0000

The NFL Draft might be over, but the fun hasn't ended yet. The media, along with the players themselves, are reporting on the undrafted free agents who teams are trying to sign. After the jump is a list of players who have been rumored to have been contacted and signed by the Browns:

List of Cleveland Browns Undrafted Free Agents (Reports May Contain Inaccuracies)

WR Josh Cooper - Oklahoma State - 5-11, 190 lbs. He was on the receiving end of passes by Brandon Weeden, selected by the Browns in round one. NFL.com says he is crafty and could work as a slot guy, but could have trouble getting open at the next level. (Source)
WR Bert Reed - Florida State - 5-10, 182 lbs. He was officially clocked with a 4.46 (not at the combine), but several scouts reported him being in the 4.3's. In other words, he's got some speed. (Source)
WR Jermain Saffold - Missouri State - 6-0, 195 lbs. He also has some pretty good speed, reportedly, to go along with better size. (Source)
OG J.B. Shugarts - Ohio State - 6-7, 300 lbs. He has some good strength, but "struggles to gain leverage and keep his balance in both the run and pass game." What do you think, Buckeye fans? (Source)
OT Matt Cleveland - Idaho - 6-3, 293 lbs. Buy his jersey; I guarantee you that its face value won't decline very much, even if he gets cut right away! (Source)
OT Jake Anderson - Akron - 6-6, 304 lbs. (Source)
OL Garth Gerhart - Arizona State - 6-1, 305 lbs. He is the brother of RB Toby Gerhart. Projected to go in the middle rounds, NFL.com says, "Gerhart is a high-effort, big-motor player who has the frame to compete for a starting position at the next level." (Source)
DL William Green - Florida - 6-3, 250 lbs. Yes, you are reading that correctly -- the Browns once again have a guy named William Green on their team. YOUR OLD GREEN JERSEYS HAVE VALUE AGAIN! (Source)
ILB Josh Linam - Central Florida - 6-2, 242 lbs. Reports say he gives a lot of effort, but isn't real explosive in any facets of the game. (Source)
LB Andrew Sweat - Ohio State - 6-1, 231 lbs. He led the Buckeyes at the linebacker position tackles. He reportedly had an "outstanding" Pro Day workout. (Source)
FS Johnson Bademosi - Stanford - 6-1, 201 lbs. He could either be a cornerback or a developmental safety. Per NFLDraftScout, "Perhaps the most intriguing was Bademosi, who was clocked at a startling 4.35 on his first 40 attempt and also demonstrated incredible explosiveness in the vertical (40") and broad jump (10'5")." Note: earlier reports said the 49ers were going to sign him, so stay tuned with this one.
FS Tashaun Gipson - Wyoming - 5-11, 206 lbs. NFL.com called him extremely productive, making the switch from CB to S at the end of his senior year. They say he "has fourth-round value based on his ability to play safety and cover well in nickel packages." (Source)
CB Abtwuan Reed - Pittsburgh - 5-10, 188 lbs. According to NFL.com, Reed "is an all-around player who is reliable to make a tackle but won't make many special plays." (Source)
CB Emanuel Davis - East Carolina - 5-10, 194 lbs. Per NFL.com, Davis "had an up-and-down career at East Carolina, but he has good speed and at times displayed the skills that make him worthy of a late-round draft pick." (Source)
CB Mike Allen - James Madison - 6-0, 185 lbs.

Ten MAC Players Will Play In Tonight's Casino Del Sol All-Star Game

Matt Sussman — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:15:19 -0000

I've only ever heard of the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game. Those events are later in the month but tonight there's something wacky called the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game, played in Tucson, Arizona. It's going to be on Fox Sports/Arizona and may or may not be on one of the other FSN channels. Who knows. Anyway, here are the 10 MAC players listed on the rosters for both teams:

Stars (East) Team:

Temple safety Kevin Kroboth (#37) (third team All-MAC)
OHIO linebacker Noah Keller (#44) (second team All-MAC)
BGSU center Ben Bojicic (#61) (third team All-MAC)
Akron guard Jake Anderson (#68)
Temple guard Wayne Tribue (#69) (third team All-MAC)
WMU defensive tackle Drew Nowak (#70) (first team All-MAC, MAC Defensive Player of the Year)
Kent State defensive tackle Ishmaa'ily Kitchen (#93)

Stripes (West) Team:

Toledo cornerback Desmond Marrow (#3) (first team All-MAC)
Ball State safety Sean Baker (#25) (first team All-MAC)
OHIO tackle A.J. Strum (#71) (third team All-MAC)

Essentially it's a bunch of lineman and defensive players. Sadly there are no offensive skill position players will be on display. Kind of a drag to watch for the big tackle or turnover, but Nowak, Marrow and Baker all had outstanding careers on the defensive side, while Bojicic and Strum were excellent linemen. I don't think any of these 10 players have much of a draft profile right now, so anything they can do to catapult themselves into at least an UDFA position will be the best they can likely hope for.