Cleveland Browns: 5 Most Crucial Training Camp Position Battles to Watch

One of the most exciting things about NFL training camp, aside from it being an indication that the season is about to finally begin, is the positional battles that take place. This is certainly the case for the Cleveland Browns, who have a number of players vying for a finite number of roster spots this summer.

With camp set to start July 22 (veterans report July 29), here are the five biggest Browns training camp battles to keep an eye on this year.

Quarterback

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Without question, most eyes will be focused on the Browns' quarterback situation this summer. Right now, it looks like Josh McCown has the inside track on starting, given that he was the passer to do all of the work with the first-team offense in OTAs and minicamp, as head coach Mike Pettine had planned.

But if the Browns have any designs on backup Johnny Manziel eventually taking the reins of the offense, it will happen during training camp and in the team's four preseason games. If Manziel outperforms McCown on an actual football field, the Browns will have a difficult decision on their hands.

For what it's worth, it appears that Browns receiver Dwayne Bowe slightly prefers McCown at this stage in the game. He said, via Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot:

"He's amazing. He's a crafty vet, and he knows matchups, he knows the playbook front and back and he knows the personnel. In the red zone, he knows who to come to, he knows how to hit the checkdown, the audible, and he's a great fit for this offense."

But he's also seen progress out of Manziel, adding, "I see it slowly but surely. He's still learning. He's learning to take the game seriously. He won the Heisman, so he's pretty good, and it just takes time. Everybody wants to rush it because he's a first-rounder, but when you're playing quarterback, you have to give it some time, and I think that his time is now to get better."

It's not a foregone conclusion that McCown will be the Browns' Week 1 starter at quarterback, but it remains to be seen how serious competition will get between him and Manziel in training camp. Still, it's a position to keep an eye on.

Kicker

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When the Browns released kicker Garrett Hartley earlier this offseason, that meant one thing—a battle will be taking place this summer between Carey Spear and Travis Coons, two untested NFL kickers. One of these two will handle the Browns' field-goal and extra-point duties this year, and it's not a position to take lightly.

But it could take until the final cut-down day following Week 4 of the preseason for the Browns to make their final decision. Expect Coons and Spear to alternate kicking duties all summer long while the Browns try to figure out which gives them the better odds to score points. 

The edge will be given to the man with the bigger leg. Cleveland gets both cold and windy as the NFL season progresses, making field goals increasingly more difficult week by week. The Browns will need someone who can accurately kick the football in these kinds of conditions, and while they aren't conditions Spear or Coons will see during the summer, the Browns should have a good idea of which kicker will be capable of taking on that challenge this year.

Defensive Line

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The Browns' defensive line is a rotational one, so that means there will be more than enough snaps to go around to players who deserve them. But there will still be battles at both defensive end and defensive tackle this summer as the players slowly settle into their roles.

Some will be starters—as in, playing the first snap of a game—but may not have the highest snap totals at year's end. Some will take on more work in the run defense, and others still will have more involvement in pass-rushing situations.

The Browns will have to figure out where the likes of Danny Shelton, Phil Taylor, John Hughes, Randy Starks, Armonty Bryant, Desmond Bryant, Billy Winn, Xavier Cooper and others fit in. While it's not a head-to-head competition in the traditional sense, there will be multiple players angling for time with the first-team defense, and not all will get it. This should be a particularly fun set of positional battles this summer.

Cornerback

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The Browns' cornerback battle should be a bit more straightforward than what they are facing along the defensive line. Joe Haden is entrenched as a starter, and Tramon Williams may as well be considered similarly. Where things get interesting, though, is at the nickel cornerback position. 

ESPN's Pat McManamon wrote in June that he expects Justin Gilbert to be battling it out with K'Waun Williams for the nickel job. Williams made the position his own last year while Gilbert had a disappointing rookie season. Meanwhile, Cabot wrote earlier this week that, "I do think that Williams has a legitimate shot to play ahead of Gilbert based on the performance of both last season."

Cabot added, "Gilbert has looked good in offseason practices, but he looked good in camp last year too before struggling because of off-the-field issues." It's possible, if Gilbert looks good enough, that he could push Tramon Williams on the outside and not K'Waun Williams on the inside. But for now, it appears the main competition at the cornerback position this summer will be between K'Waun and Gilbert for the nickel spot.

Wide Receiver

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The Browns' wide receiver situation is akin to what is set to happen this summer on the defensive line—it's simply a crowded room of players, and their roles and the amount of playing time they're set to see has yet to be determined.

It's fair to assume that Bowe will be a starter on the outside as the team's primary deep threat. He could be joined on the other side of the field by Brian Hartline. But Andrew Hawkins cannot be forgotten—he was the team's leading receiver last year, and his talent may force the Browns to use him beyond just in the slot.

But where does that leave Taylor Gabriel or rookie Vince Mayle? Especially with the Browns bringing on tight end Rob Housler and drafting running back Duke Johnson, who will be a force in the passing game as well, it's going to be difficult to determine how the snap count and depth chart will play out.

Those who distinguish themselves in training camp and the preseason will be the ones to earn top billing on the roster. And none of these receivers will be quietly accepting of a backup role. This summer will really shed light on what Cleveland's passing offense will look like this year.