Projected Cleveland Browns Final 53-Man Roster, Pre-Training Camp Edition

Will BurgeJul 17, 2014

We are less than a week away from the Cleveland Browns opening training camp. Many anticipate that there will be heated position battles all over the field.

While some players, such as cornerback Joe Haden and tackle Joe Thomas, have locked up their starting spots, many others are up for grabs. Head coach Mike Pettine has no allegiances to the players on the roster, so spots will have to be earned.

As you look at the Browns roster, there is a nice mix of youth and veteran talent. The mix is so intriguing that ProFootballTalk.com has the Browns 22nd in its preseason power rankings.

It’s tough to say just how good the team will be as a whole, but we can project who will be part of that team. Let’s take a stab at the 53 men who will still be wearing an orange helmet once training camp closes.

Quarterback

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Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Brian Hoyer

Johnny Manziel

Tyler Thigpen

The Browns will likely keep three quarterbacks for multiple reasons. The first is the fact that Brian Hoyer is returning from a season-ending knee injury and no one truly knows how it will hold up. In case Hoyer were to go down, the Browns need to have another backup quarterback on the roster.

The other reason is that both Hoyer and Johnny Manziel have combined for just four starts in the NFL. The Browns need an experienced voice on the sidelines that can help dissect defenses with the young quarterbacks. Thigpen has experience in this offense and will hold the clipboard on Sundays.

I also expect Connor Shaw to be placed on the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Running Back

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Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Ben Tate

Terrance West

Isaiah Crowell

This will be the hardest position group for the Browns coaching staff and front office to cut down. They have such a deep pool of talent in training camp that they will inevitably have to cut someone that they would love to keep.

Also, the Browns will have to carry extra linebackers and wide receivers because of depth issues. This will force them to trim fat somewhere else, and running back seems like a likely place.

Ben Tate and Terrance West are obvious names, but undrafted free-agent rookie Isaiah Crowell will steal the final running back spot from more established names with pure talent. If he gets touches in the preseason, he will outshine everyone else easily.

Wide Receiver

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Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Miles Austin

Andrew Hawkins

Nate Burleson

Josh Gordon

Chandler Jones

Willie Snead

Travis Benjamin

Charles Johnson

The Browns will not want to keep eight wide receivers but will be forced to do so because of Josh Gordon’s impending suspension. If he misses the entire season, then they will receive a roster exemption, but if he does not, they will be forced to carry Gordon as an extra body.

This opens the door for guys like Charles Johnson, Willie Snead and Chandler Jones to make the squad and possibly even contribute.

The Browns will also need to carry extra receivers because of the questionable health of Miles Austin and Nate Burleson. Neither has proven he is ready to come back and contribute at full capacity. Until they do, the Browns will need to forge ahead with extra bodies.

Tight End

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Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Jordan Cameron

Jim Dray

MarQueis Gray

The tight end position is a little jumbled as well. Jordan Cameron obviously has a roster spot after his fantastic performance last season, when he emerged as one of the best young tight ends in the NFL. It would also seem that Jim Dray has a roster spot after the Browns signed him to a three-year, $5.625 million contract.

The final tight end spot will probably be decided between Gary Barnidge and MarQueis Gray. Barnidge, who was very underwhelming last season, will have a hard time holding off Gray because of the latter's versatility.

Gray not only can play tight end, but he can also shift into the backfield and play quarterback in the Wildcat formation. More importantly, he has been taking snaps as a fullback throughout camp. This will be the difference in him making the roster.

Offensive Line

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Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Joel Bitonio

Garrett Gilkey

John Greco

Alex Mack

Paul McQuistan

Jason Pinkston

Mitchell Schwartz

Joe Thomas

The Browns are in very good shape on the offensive line this season. This is not just because they were able to bring back Alex Mack on a long-term deal, sign Paul McQuistan from Seattle and draft a young, talented guy like Joel Bitonio.

The reason they are in such good shape is because of the versatility along the line. Bitonio, McQuistan, Schwartz and Greco can all play either guard or tackle, and Greco can even play center. This will allow the Browns a ton of flexibility when they hit the inevitable injuries that happen in the trenches.

Defensive Line

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Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Desmond Bryant

Armonty Bryant

John Hughes

Ishmaa’ily Kitchen

Ahtyba Rubin

Phil Taylor

Billy Winn

Jacobbi McDaniel

At the beginning of the 2013 season, it looked as though the Browns defensive line was the deepest part of the roster. That was even before the team found out that Armonty Bryant can actually play and signed undrafted free agent Jacobbi McDaniel.

This season, the line doesn’t just look deep—it looks dominant. It will be very difficult for defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil to decide who gets reps throughout the game because there is very little drop-off from the top of the heap to the bottom.

One thing is for sure—the Browns will never have to worry about tired legs, as they will have a very deep rotation of big men up front this season.

Linebacker

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Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Tank Carder

Karlos Dansby

Chris Kirksey

Paul Kruger

Brandon Magee

Barkevious Mingo

Craig Robertson

Jabaal Sheard

The Browns' linebacker corps severely underperformed last season, and there were not many changes made in the offseason. It looks like the front office is hoping that a new defensive scheme and another year of experience will do this group well.

Inside linebacker is probably the position at which the Browns are thinnest and need to look for reinforcements. While this is the group currently predicted to make the final 53-man roster, the team will almost assuredly look for help from players who are cut during training camp around the league

Currently, Craig Robertson is the starting inside linebacker next to Karlos Dansby, and I would not be surprised if the person who starts at that spot in Week 1 is not even on the Browns roster yet.

Cornerback

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Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Justin Gilbert

Pierre Desir

Joe Haden

Buster Skrine

Leon McFadden

For months I have written about the possibility of 2013 third-round draft pick Leon McFadden being cut from the Browns, and now I have him on the roster. So what happened?

Well, a lack of choices is what happened. McFadden will currently be the benefactor of a shallow pool at cornerback for the Browns. He is smaller in stature and cannot play outside the way Pettine would normally like. Fortunately for him, he will be the most skilled of the guys fighting for the final cornerback spot.

If he does make the roster, he will probably find himself as the backup to Buster Skrine at the nickelback position.

Safety

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Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Josh Aubrey

Tashaun Gipson

Donte Whitner

Johnson Bademosi

The safety position is very interesting for the Browns this season. The starting duo of Tashaun Gipson and Donte Whitner is as formidable as you will find in the NFL. Unfortunately, behind them is a bunch of unknown.

Johnson Bademosi and Josh Aubrey played sparingly last season and are better as special teams guys. If they are forced into playing time because of injury, it could get ugly. The bright side of the situation is that in Mike Pettine’s defensive scheme, the safety is less of a priority than in other schemes.

The pressure his defense applies from the middle can usually mask deficiencies in the secondary.

Special Teams

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David Richard/Associated Press

Billy Cundiff

Spencer Lanning

Christian Yount

The Browns' specialty players will be pretty standard this season, as they will carry a kicker, punter and long snapper. Billy Cundiff, who earned a new contract this season, proved he was consistent enough to hold the job lasts season.

Spencer Lanning did a solid job at punter, and as long as people don’t know who Christian Yount is, then he is doing his job just fine.