Setting Realistic Expectations for Each Cleveland Browns Rookie
The Cleveland Browns have 12 rookies on their roster whom they drafted in late April and early May, along with 11 other undrafted rookies. Not all of these first-year players will make the 53-man roster or even the practice squad, although a few are guaranteed to start.
Let's take a look at the ceilings and floors of these rookies, starting with the drafted players. Then we'll examine the undrafted players with true promise. Here are the realistic expectations for each member of the Browns' rookie class.
DT Danny Shelton
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The Browns selected defensive tackle Danny Shelton in Round 1 of the 2015 NFL draft in order to boost their defensive production against the run while also improving their pass rush. Shelton appears poised to in some way be part of the defensive line rotation, potentially splitting time with nose tackles Phil Taylor and Ishmaa'ily Kitchen.
Shelton "plays the game with a type of energy that you can't fake," according to Cleveland defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, via ESPN.com's Pat McManamon. Weaver dismissed criticisms of Shelton's motor last month. He added, "He's full speed. You see his size. You saw his 40 numbers at the combine. But he doesn't play to that. He's a guy who plays every snap like it's his last play, and guys that play like that aren't easy to come by."
Shelton's ceiling is crystal clear if his draft pedigree is any indication: He's set to be a starter this year. In fact, McManamon said in June, "He's expected to start. The Browns need him to start. ... If Shelton doesn't start, it will be a major disappointment."
Thus, his floor is not being a starter, especially as the season wears on. It would make sense for a rookie to play a good number of snaps in Week 1 while not getting the starting nod, but that cannot continue through the whole year.
Realistically, expect Shelton to be a starter—as in playing the first defensive snap of the game—sometimes. But he should get a starter's number of snaps—as in the majority of them—in a highly rotational Cleveland defensive line setup.
OL Cam Erving
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Another 2015 draft pick in Round 1, offensive lineman Cam Erving has already turned heads throughout OTAs and minicamp. Why? Because he's been playing multiple positions on the line, showing off that his versatility is as advertised.
Per the team's website, offensive coordinator John DeFilippo says that Erving will open training camp as the starting right guard in place of John Greco. Though a switch to right tackle cannot be ruled out, it looks as though right guard may be Erving's spot for 2015.
His ceiling this year is to be the best rookie offensive lineman in the NFL. His floor is to be a disappointment as a starter, forcing Greco (or Mitchell Schwartz) back into the starting lineup. But the latter seems nearly impossible, given the spring Erving has had.
Ultimately, the realistic rookie year for Erving is for him to have as good a season as left guard Joel Bitonio did last year and to prove himself worthy of being an anchor on Cleveland's line for years to come.
OLB Nate Orchard
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Even if the Browns hadn't lost outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard in free agency, they likely would have still made a move to grab pass-rusher Nate Orchard in Round 2 of this year's draft. Head coach Mike Pettine and defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil pride themselves on an aggressive front seven, but their version of it in Cleveland produced only 33 sacks last season.
Orchard, meanwhile, totaled 18.5 by himself in his 2014 season at Utah.
CBS Sports' Rob Rang says that Orchard is the best fit of the Browns' 2015 draft class:
"What Orchard does best, of course, is rush the quarterback. He has a quick burst to cross the face of tackles, as well as an excellent counter back inside and uses his hands as well as any edge rusher in this class... It is a combination of technique, talent and hustle that could remind Cleveland fans of [Paul] Kruger - who, of course, also spent his college days starring at defensive end for the Utah Utes.
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With Barkevious Mingo recovering from offseason shoulder surgery—and trying to prove he still is a Round 1 talent, as the Browns bet he was when they drafted him two years ago—Orchard could settle in as a starter alongside Paul Kruger, the Browns' sack leader last year with 11.
His ceiling? Becoming Cleveland's sack leader in 2015.
His floor? Losing snaps to Mingo or to breakout linebacker Scott Solomon. But it looks as though Orchard could first find his footing as part of a pass-rushing rotation before he settles in to become an eventual starter.
Pettine and O'Neil will likely find ways to get Orchard, Kruger, Solomon and Mingo on the field throughout the season, which could eat into Orchard's snaps but also get the most out of his talents.
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RB Duke Johnson
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At first, it seemed a bit strange that the Browns selected running back Duke Johnson in Round 3 of the 2015 draft. After all, they had Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell already on the roster, and the coaching staff seemed enthusiastic about Glenn Winston, though he didn't have a single touch last season.
But Johnson brings a dynamic that the other Browns' backs don't have—namely, shifty speed as well as the ability to catch passes. This dynamism has running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery excited about what the offense can look like with someone like Johnson in the backfield. He said last month, per Jared Dubin of CBS Sports:
"The best way I can describe Duke is what Thurman Thomas was for Buffalo. It's going to be all over the field. It's a 'Where's Waldo?' He gives you another dimension. He creates one-on-one problems. We hope he can be a little bit like the kid, [Giovani] Bernard, in Cincinnati. If he can do that for us, that gives us a different perspective on how we approach the field and gives us a chance to move people around and taking advantage of a mismatch.
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Montgomery noted, though, that Johnson won't be a bell-cow back for the Browns—and that no one likely will. "It's hard to have an every-down back in this league. There's too much punishment going on out there on the field."
As such, Johnson's rookie-year ceiling seems similar to that of Bernard's, in which the Bengals back rushed 170 times for 695 yards and five touchdowns while also catching 56 passes for 514 yards and three scores. In fact, that ceiling also seems more realistic than anything else. Because his floor is to simply be a third-down, passing-down back, and he's so much more than that.
DL Xavier Cooper
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Because of the Browns' rotational-style defensive front, third-round 2015 draft pick Xavier Cooper looks poised to play a good share of the snaps this year. But it's a matter of how many.
Whether as a 3-technique or 5-technique defensive end, Cooper will have to split time with the likes of Randy Starks, Billy Winn, Desmond Bryant, Armonty Bryant and John Hughes. How much time he will get will depend on how well he handles the duties he's responsible for—mostly rushing the passer and opening lanes for other pass-rushers in the linebacking corps.
According to the team's official site, general manager Ray Farmer is confident that Cooper can do this, though: "I really felt like Cooper was a difference-maker. The guy played with an unbelievable motor. He ran and hustled to the ball, showed that first step quick explosion to beat block and get up the field. I think the guy has got potential to be really, really good NFL player."
Because of the rotational nature of the defensive line, Cooper's ceiling may be artificially held lower than it otherwise would be. At best, he looks to be a disruptive force on pass-rushing downs; at worst, he is a marginal player who handles fewer snaps than any other end.
The reality looks like something in between. Cooper's inherent talent will make him useful when it comes to disrupting quarterbacks, but with so many other experienced defensive linemen on the roster, Cooper may have to defer to that experience on a number of his would-be snaps this year.
S Ibraheim Campbell
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Even if Browns safety Ibraheim Campbell has improved his coverage skills—something his coaches believe to be the case—it's not going to be enough for him to crack the starting lineup as a rookie. That's because the fourth-round draft pick isn't going to beat out incumbent starters Tashaun Gipson and Donte Whitner in training camp this summer.
The most he can hope for is a spot on the 53-man roster, serving as a backup alongside Jordan Poyer while also contributing on special teams. Starting will have to wait until 2016 at the earliest, when Gipson could be a free agent, or if the Browns release Whitner before his contract expires in 2018.
That's not to say that Campbell couldn't play a few defensive snaps as a rookie, particularly in run support, where he shines the brightest. But it's more realistic to see him as a backup and special teams contributor in 2015. His floor is to be released altogether, with potential to spend the year on the practice squad.
But Campbell has promise as a backup, so it does seem like he could make the final roster come September.
WR Vince Mayle
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Fourth-round draft pick Vince Mayle has been relegated to taking only mental reps during OTAs and minicamp this offseason while he continues to heal from offseason thumb surgery. But he's benefited from those reps, telling the Browns' official website, "I'm taking [mental reps] at multiple spots. The guys that are running are taking one rep during the play. I'm taking them at three different spots in my head."
He's also benefited from the tutelage of veteran Browns receiver Dwayne Bowe. According to Mayle, Bowe is "teaching me what he learned when he was young. He's also teaching me what he knows now, so I don't have to go through that learning curve that he had to go through. He said he was the top dog coming in and he didn't have anybody to learn from. He's teaching me everything."
Mayle expects to be cleared to practice in training camp. And if that's the case, he has a strong shot of making the 53-man roster. But it could take time before he's on the 46-man active game-day roster. He also is a long shot to be a starter as a rookie, given that Bowe, Brian Hartline, Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel are ahead of him on the depth chart.
Starting may be Mayle's ceiling, but it may be an unattainable one. But it's more realistic to assume he contributes in some way as a rookie and blossoms into a starter next year, when either Hartline's or Bowe's services may no longer be needed. His floor is the practice squad, because Mayle simply doesn't seem to be a candidate to be otherwise released.
CB Charles Gaines
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Like Vince Mayle, cornerback Charles Gaines has to climb high up the depth chart to become a starter in his rookie year. But unlike Mayle, Gaines is healthy. And he's been given a heavy workload already, having practiced both on the outside and in the nickel during OTAs and minicamp.
That versatility could help Gaines see some on-field action this year. And he could battle it out for the starting nickel cornerback job with K'Waun Williams and Justin Gilbert. Winning that job would be Gaines' ceiling, while spending 2015 on the practice squad would be his floor.
The reality is likely somewhere in between, with Gaines getting a few snaps this year at both outside and slot cornerback while cutting his teeth on special teams. That's a typical rookie-year trajectory for a cornerback.
FB Malcolm Johnson
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Malcolm Johnson was a tight end in college, and though he's listed on the roster as a fullback, he's actually more than that—he's an H-back who has been used as a tight end, receiver and a blocker in OTAs and minicamp thus far.
Though Johnson is a "tweener," Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is familiar with players of his type, having worked with the Oakland Raiders' Marcel Reece. And, like Reece, DeFilippo sees a lot of versatility in Johnson's game.
"You see him in the backfield," the coach said to Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com. "You see him line up as a receiver. You see him as a tight end. The versatility he brings will be something we look forward to."
Still, learning a new position has been a bit tough for Johnson thus far. He said, "Since I am learning a new position, it is different. But I'm going to put my own savvy to it: my own flavor. I don't see myself as a traditional fullback and I know the coaches don't, either."
Because the Browns look to be a run-heavy team this year, Johnson has a good chance to make the 53-man roster. A fullback will help those efforts immensely. But because he has a varied skill set, that makes him even more valuable to the offense. It's hard to predict what his snap count will look like, but it does seem like a roster spot won't be wasted if he gets one.
Otherwise, Johnson's floor is to spend the season on the practice squad. While he could also be vulnerable to outright release, but it seems unlikely only because he has a skill set that DeFilippo highly values.
TE Randall Telfer
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Rookie Browns tight end Randall Telfer is no stranger to adversity, having suffered numerous injuries during his collegiate career at USC. But the lingering effects of his most recent injury—a Lisfranc fracture in his foot that required surgery—could limit his effectiveness in 2015.
It's possible that he could take the field at some point this season. Head coach Mike Pettine said in May, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer: "[Telfer] was one of our top-rated tight ends. We were fortunate to be able to get him when we did. We all know that the injury's well-documented, but there is a chance that he'll be able to help us late in the year."
But it's likely that Telfer opens training camp on the physically unable to perform list—and that could continue into the regular season. He may also be placed on the injured reserve-recall list, which would him to play later in the season, or he could just go on injured reserve for his rookie year.
Because of the injury, Telfer's ceiling is simply being able to play at some point in 2015. His floor is being cut outright if the Browns think that his Lisfranc issues—which can be pervasive—won't ever fully resolve. More realistically, he starts the year on injured reserve-recall, with the Browns paying close attention to his progress in the hopes that he can at least dress for game day at some point this year.
LB Hayes Pullard
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Since the Browns drafted linebacker Hayes Pullard in Round 7 this year, little has been written of the rookie.
ClevelandBrowns.com's Kevin Jones wrote in May, "The Browns are looking for a young, downhill-thumping linebacker who's not afraid to lay the wood. The club has clearly communicated they are also looking for players who obsess over their craft and don't enter the building with any false sense of entitlement. Pullard is a clay model of that description."
Other than that, nothing much of note has emerged from either OTAs or minicamp to indicate that he's a standout player.
That's not a good sign for Pullard, who already has to overcome being a Round 7 selection. Typically, Round 7 draft picks don't get many practice reps, and what they do get have to be impressive, lest they trickle to a halt as the summer progresses.
Because of this, Pullard's ceiling at this point looks to be the practice squad. His floor? Being released. While the Browns need help stopping the run, rushing the passer and being more aggressive up front, Pullard has a long haul ahead of him to prove he's worthy of a spot on the 53-man roster.
CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
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If cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu hadn't suffered a gruesome knee injury in a pre-playoff practice with Oregon, he could have been drafted in Round 1 or 2 this year. But because of the injury—an ACL tear paired with a knee dislocation—he went in Round 7, taken by the Browns with the 241st overall pick.
Ekpre-Olomu is still far from being cleared for full practice. He said to ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi last week:
"Right now I'm really just taking it day by day, working with the physical trainers and physical therapists. [Physical therapist] Anthony [Trem], he's been doing a great job just getting the strength back, and the mobility, in my leg. 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.
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Ekpre-Olomu is preparing like he will play this year, and noted that "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." But the injury is a significant one.
Ekpre-Olomu's ceiling is that he eventually regains his health and does play like a Round 1 or Round 2 draft pick. His floor is that his knee never really recovers and he can't ever be effective on an NFL level. But the more realistic outcome for this year is that he sits it out, gets 100 percent healthy and can contribute in the future.
Promising UDFA
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Of the 11 undrafted rookie free agents on the Browns' roster, not all have the upside to threaten establish veterans and earn spots on the 53-man roster or even the practice squad. Here are the undrafted rookies who have a shot to remain in Cleveland one way or another:
TE Kevin Haplea
The Browns want to be a run-heavy team this year, and tight end Kevin Haplea can be a help in this area. He's not much of a receiver, catching only six passes for 60 yards and a score in two years at Penn State and five passes for 34 yards and another touchdown in his last two seasons at Florida State.
But Rob Housler, Gary Barnidge and Jim Dray can handle the tight end receiving duties. If the Browns want a pure, run-blocking tight end—either to stash on the practice squad or to take the place of fullback Malcolm Johnson—Haplea has that upside.
WR Darius Jennings
Kevin Jones of the Browns' official website thinks that Darius Jennings has a lot in common with 2014 undrafted rookie Taylor Gabriel: "There's always room for a late riser with big-play ability on the roster." Jennings could be a surprise addition to Cleveland's 53-man roster this year and if not, he could realistically spend at least part of the year on the practice squad before being called up.
OL Tyler Loos
Offensive lineman Tyler Loos suffered a number of injuries in college, including a season-ending knee injury in 2011 and a broken leg in 2012. But despite that injury history, he does have some upside, given that he can play both right guard and right tackle. That kind of offensive line versatility is prized in the NFL, but because the Browns' depth chart is almost cemented in place at every position—and its backup—on the line, Loos could be a practice-squad candidate at best this year.
RB Luke Lundy
Luke Lundy is 26 years old, which doesn't make him a typical undrafted rookie running back, but he does have a shot to make the 53-man roster. Of his strengths, Lundy said to Branson Wright of the Plain Dealer, "I like running between the tackles, and I can catch the ball out of the backfield," which gives him a versatile skill set that could benefit the Browns this year.
But Dawgs By Nature's Chris Pokorny notes that "he could end up being more of a threat in the fullback competition." That gives him an extra edge to make the final 53, according to Pokorny, and it's hard to disagree. Otherwise, he could not even be destined for the practice squad, simply given his age.
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