5 Players Who Might Find Themselves on Cleveland Browns' Practice Squad in 2015
We're months away from the Cleveland Browns making their final determinations about their 2015 roster. Training camp practices in full pads and, of course, the team's four preseason games will heavily influence the Browns' depth chart, 53-man roster and also their practice squad assignments for this year.
Let's take a look at five players who could be good candidates for the Browns' practice squad this season. These players could manage to turn heads over the course of the summer, potentially changing things. But for now, these five look like they'd benefit from a year on the practice squad.
S Ibraheim Campbell
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The Browns selected Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell in Round 4 of the 2015 draft and could have found themselves a steal. The problem? This year, the Browns don't seem to need help at safety. And unless Campbell can make himself useful on special teams, his rookie year might be best spent on the practice squad.
One of the knocks against Campbell is his coverage skills. Campbell is aware of this, though, and said to Tom Reed of the Plain Dealer after he was drafted, "What I would say is throw the ball my way. That's the easiest way to prove it. Talking doesn't really prove anything."
And the Browns also sent defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley to work with Campbell before the draft, and according to defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil, via Reed, "he spent 90 percent of the private workout on drills designed to test Campbell's ability to defend deep routes and post patterns."
Still, those workouts do not properly simulate in-game situations, nor do they represent Campbell's mastery of the playbook. If Campbell is truly a work in progress as a coverage safety, a year on the practice squad could benefit his development.
CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
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The Browns took cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu in Round 7 of the 2015 draft in hopes that he would someday be healthy enough to contribute to their defense. Ekpre-Olomu tore his ACL and dislocated his knee in a practice before Oregon's NCAA playoff game against Florida State, injuries that required two surgeries.
Ekpre-Olomlu is still wearing heavy bracing on the knee, reports ESPNCleveland.com's Tony Grossi, and is not cleared to run yet. Ekpre-Olomu said, "The running, they say, will come easily once that's back so right now I'm really focusing on strengthening the quad and hamstring again. I'm not running full speed at all yet. I'm actually going back to California to meet with my doctor and from there he'll take me to the next step."
Per Grossi, Ekpre-Olomu is optimistic about being able to play this year:
"If I can play, I want to play. So that's going to be up to the head coach and GM. If not, then I'm going to prepare every day like I'm going to play.
I do everything everyone else is doing. I just spend extra time in the physical therapy room, so I spend about three hours in the physical therapy room every day and other than that I'm with the team every other second.
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Though Ekpre-Olomu would have been a Round 1 or Round 2 draft pick this year without the injury, should he be cleared for full practice as the summer wears on, a year on the practice squad would serve him well. First, even though he's doing "everything everyone else is doing," not actually taking part in on-field drills does put him behind his fellow cornerbacks.
Also, the Browns aren't thin at the cornerback position, with Tramon Williams, Joe Haden, K'Waun Williams, Justin Gilbert and potentially Pierre Desir all lined up to make the 53-man roster this year. That leaves Ekpre-Olomu on the outside looking in.
CB Charles Gaines
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That crowded cornerbacks group could also mean that Round 6 2015 draft pick Charles Gaines could also spend his rookie year on the practice squad.
Gaines has been a quick study, with defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley saying last week to ClevelandBrowns.com's Kevin Jones:
"What I like about Charles is that he takes coaching hard. He's improving rapidly and you can see the confidence growing. We heard he was a trash talker coming in, but he's kept a business-like approach so far. But you can tell, each day he's becoming more himself. We want to see that fun personality. But we've respected his approach so far.
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Gaines has worked at both cornerback and nickelback during OTAs and minicamp, which is a good sign that he's developing rapidly. But at the same time, Gaines has a lot of veteran cornerbacks ahead of him on the depth chart and, like the rookie safety Campbell, will need to prove himself on special teams.
But if not, Gaines is an asset worth stashing on the practice squad. After all, he would be only one roster move away from the 53-man if the Browns truly end up liking him as much in pads as they do in shorts.
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OL Tyler Loos
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Undrafted offensive lineman Tyler Loos is the perfect example of a practice-squad player. Loos was a collegiate right tackle who could transition to guard in the NFL. He has a few health-related red flags, including a season-ending knee injury in 2011 and a broken leg in 2012, and he also missed time with injuries in 2013.
But Loos has considerable upside. And stashing at least one offensive lineman on the practice squad is always advisable in a league where everything on offense relies on the line to perform well. If the Browns were in a worse situation when it comes to their offensive line depth, it's possible that Loos could be a late addition to the 53-man roster.
The Browns, though, aren't in bad shape when it comes to their depth, especially given that the team drafted the versatile Cameron Erving in Round 1 and will also boast either John Greco or Mitchell Schwartz as backup linemen along with Ryan Seymour and Michael Bowie.
Loos can be developed into a starting offensive lineman for 2016 and beyond while further honing his skills at both tackle and guard on the practice squad this year.
WR Darius Jennings
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Last year, an undrafted rookie wide receiver named Taylor Gabriel managed to crack the Browns' 53-man roster and ended the season as the team's second-leading receiver. This year, another undrafted rookie, Darius Jennings, is making similar waves. But his chances of making the 53-man roster are not as good as Gabriel's a year ago.
This is because the Browns simply have more receivers already penciled in to make the final roster. In addition to Gabriel, the Browns brought in free agents Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline, drafted Vince Mayle in Round 4 and still have Andrew Hawkins, who led the team in receptions and receiving yards in 2014.
They also snagged running back Duke Johnson in Round 3, who has a high ceiling as a receiver, and added pass-catching veteran tight end Rob Housler in April.
Though ClevelandBrowns.com's Kevin Jones noted about Jennings, "There's always room for a late riser with big-play ability on the roster," that may be wishful thinking in a position group that is quite deep. Putting Jennings on the practice squad, though, means he will be at the ready should any of the Browns' starting receivers falter or suffer injury.
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