Early Predictions for Cleveland Browns' 2015 Training Camp Battles

The Cleveland Browns' training camp will not commence until well into the summer. However, the team has already met for OTA practices and rookie minicamp and have more offseason workouts scheduled through the middle of June.

These offseason workouts and drills are as much about getting each player comfortable with their respective positions and assignments as it is to determine the depth chart. Positional battles are common among NFL teams this time of year, and for the Browns, it is no different.

Here are five of the Browns' biggest positional battles for 2015 and early predictions on how they may play out.

Quarterback

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All eyes will be on the quarterback position when training camp begins in July. That's not only because the Browns have yet to determine exactly who will be lining up under center, but also because July will likely mark the first time this year that second-year passer Johnny Manziel will spend time with the first-team offense.

Browns head coach Mike Pettine has made it clear that veteran Josh McCown will be considered the starter through offseason activities and into training camp. It's not necessarily that McCown is the better quarterback, though, according to Pettine:

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To me it's what I've said on Johnny so far that to me we want him essentially with horseblinders on. Focus on his job, getting up every day, perfecting his craft, whatever it is, homework that the quarterbacks have or come out and working on his footwork, his releases, that he's much more concerned about himself than really anything else.

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So far, all reports are that Manziel is morphing into the focused player Pettine had hoped for. Cornerback Joe Haden, speaking with Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer last week, shared his thoughts on Manziel:

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I can see just him trying to be involved a little bit more in the offense, him studying a lot more, him being in the facility a lot more. Him being involved with his coaches, just staying after and getting that one-on-one and being able to understand what he has to do. Just a different mentality. I'm really excited about it.

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Cabot also noted that general manager Ray Farmer has not ruled out Manziel as their starter: "If he is prepared and he demonstrates the things that he needs to demonstrate, then yeah he should get every opportunity to be the guy. I think that's what it comes down to," said Farmer.

Though Manziel will get his chances, it looks as though the Browns are leaning toward starting McCown in Week 1. If that is the case, that does not mean that McCown will be the starter for all 16 games. But for now, before Manziel plays a single practice snap with the first team, it's hard to have him beating out McCown for Week 1 starting duties.

Wide Receiver

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Equally as important as the man throwing the football for the Browns this year are the men tasked with catching it. Though the Browns may try to employ a run-heavy offense behind an offensive line that will welcome back center Alex Mack, they'll still need their receivers to provide balance on offense.

The Browns are without the services of Josh Gordon for the time being, but they don't lack wide receiver depth. They might lack dynamism, but depth is not a concern. In fact, they seem to have too many receivers for what they are trying to accomplish.

In addition to Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel, who were the Browns' receiving leaders in 2014, they also added veteran free agents Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe. They drafted Vince Mayle in Round 4. Travis Benjamin remains, for now. And outside of receiver, the Browns also have tight end Rob Housler and rookie running back Duke Johnson to catch passes.

If the Browns keep all of them, some of these receivers will spend 2015 mostly on the bench. But more likely than not, someone is getting cut. Hawkins appears the safest.

The question is whether the Browns value Gabriel and his long-term potential over veterans Hartline and Bowe, who are both on the team via cheap, two-year contracts. Benjamin, with his 18 catches on 46 targets last year, doesn't seem to have much of a future.

At this point, it looks as though Hawkins, Bowe and Gabriel have the better shots of sticking on the active roster. Hartline could be on the bubble, though he would provide valuable depth. Mayle can head to the practice squad if need be. Which means that Benjamin is the likeliest to miss out on a roster spot this year.

Nose Tackle

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With the departure of Ahtyba Rubin in free agency, the Cleveland Browns planned for Phil Taylor to move back to the position he's the most comfortable playing. Barring that, Ishmaa'ily Kitchen also has experience as the anchor of Cleveland's defensive line.

Then, in April, the Browns selected nose tackle Danny Shelton in Round 1 of the 2015 NFL draft, instantly turning the nose tackle position into one that will be hotly contested over the summer.

And this battle will have to wait until June's mandatory minicamp at the earliest. Shelton cannot practice with his team right now as he's yet to graduate from Washington. He will earn his degree on June 14, just in time for the start of the minicamp on June 16. But even then, he may not be able to take on Taylor just yet.

Taylor struggled through knee problems in 2014 that led to two surgeries, the latter landing him on injured reserve. The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot reports that Taylor was still walking with a limp during a Browns' charity golf tournament. Taylor, though, believes that he will be ready to practice come July, saying, "[W]e're taking our time with it right now and I'll be ready [for camp]."

Head coach Mike Pettine noted after the draft that Taylor's knee was one reason for the Browns taking Shelton at No. 12 this year, per Cabot:

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Phil obviously had the injury and we're hopeful to get him back at 100 percent, but there is some uncertainty there. We did adjust a few things schematically but felt that we needed that big guy in the middle. We're also hopeful that Kitch [Kitchen] can step up and be productive for us, as well, and when we get into real obvious run situations that we can put a pretty heavy front out there.

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The Browns' defensive line is a rotational one, which means there is room for Shelton, Taylor and Kitchen to all play. But someone will have to start. Taylor, given his experience, seems to have the edge here, but much depends on how his knee responds to practice this summer.

If Taylor is healthy, expect him and Shelton to get the majority of the team's nose tackle snaps this year, with Kitchen rotating in when necessary.

Kicker

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In a surprising move, the Browns released kicker Garrett Hartley earlier this month. Hartley, brought in late in the 2014 season to replace Billy Cundiff, seemed to be a shoo-in to hold onto the starting job. But, with his release, it appears the Browns would like to go in a different direction at kicker.

For now, the battle will boil down to two men: Carey Spear and Travis Coons. Both Coons and Spear were undrafted free agents in 2014, with Coons spending last summer with Tennessee before being cut and Spear doing the same with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Spear is the more experienced of the two, having kicked all four years he spent at Vanderbilt. He made 101 of his 102 extra-point attempts and converted 39 of his 50 field-goal attempts. Coons kicked for two years at Washington, making 101 of his 102 extra-point attempts and 24 of his 30 field-goal attempts.

Both men, though, are relative unknowns. And the kicking experience in college is far different than it is in the NFL. This isn't a battle that can be won in training camp alone. It will take both Spear and Coons kicking in actual preseason games for the Browns to make their decision. 

Because Spear is the more experienced kicker, based on his collegiate production, he has the early edge. But both are equally green in the professional realm, so Coons winning the job cannot be ruled out.

Cornerback

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The Browns' two outside cornerback jobs seem to be set for now, with Joe Haden and veteran free-agent signing Tramon Williams holding them down for 2015. But slot corner has yet to be resolved. The Browns aren't lacking for young cornerbacks, which means there will be a battle throughout training camp to determine which of them will get the most playing time this year.

The contenders are Justin Gilbert, Pierre Desir and K'Waun Williams, with rookie Charles Gaines a dark horse in the race. Gilbert, a Round 1 pick in the 2014 draft, played well, but not well enough.

He couldn't beat out incumbent Buster Skrine to play alongside Haden last year and was then forced out of the slot corner job by K'Waun Williams. He was also distracted by an undisclosed personal issue that led to him being suspended for the Browns' final game last year by head coach Mike Pettine.

Gilbert has been working hard to regain his focus, working out with Haden in Florida during the offseason. Defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil has taken note, though his optimism is also guarded.

O'Neil spoke with ESPN's Pat McManamon following the team's rookie minicamp. He said, "[Gilbert's] been much more engaged with players in the locker room. I'm excited to get to OTAs and get into 11-on-11 drills and see how he's grown." He added, "He flashes the talent. But he did that last year, too. There's a lot that goes into it."

Desir is an up-and-comer who had one start last year, in Week 16, and handled himself well, allowing no touchdowns. But he's more of a project than Gilbert. Desir has the desire, to be sure, and the natural athletic ability. But coming from a small school makes it more difficult for him to transition into the NFL, where young cornerbacks from elite programs still have a steep learning curve.

Because Williams came into his own last year and has fewer obstacles facing him both on and off the field, it looks like he will work in the slot alongside Haden and Williams this year.