Predicting the Last 5 In, Last 5 Out for Cleveland Browns' Final 53-Man Roster
There is a lot of time to go before the Cleveland Browns have to pare their roster down to 53 players. Training camp, as well as their four preseason games, will go a long way to determine who makes it and who has to move on.
But at this point in the summer, it's not too early to make a few predictions about the bottom of the Browns' roster, especially with OTAs and minicamp already taking place. Here are the last five players who could make the Browns' roster—and the last five to be left out.
In: K Carey Spear
1 of 10
The Browns will have a kicker battle on their hands this summer, as Carey Spear and Travis Coons battle it out to take over the job held at different times last year by Billy Cundiff and Garrett Hartley.
Right now, the battle is still underway, with neither Coons nor Spear having the edge. Browns' special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said at the end of June's minicamp that:
"We're charting these kicks during the whole competition. This goes back to when we started the offseason. We kind of took a couple of weeks to get into the groove a little bit, let them get their swing and feel comfortable. Then we said, "Hey the competition has started." And we charted everything. We've kept a running tab on that and it's been a very close competition.
"
So why pick Spear here? Because, as Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com writes, "At the end of every season, Vanderbilt special teams coach Charles Bankins makes a film cut-up of the hardest hits of the season. And for three straight years, Spear finished with the No. 1 hit." That kind of willingness to be physical, even as a kicker, means that Spear is the pick to get the nod at the end of the summer.
In: RB Luke Lundy
2 of 10
The Browns' running backs group is going to be hard to crack for anyone not named Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West or Duke Johnson. But Luke Lundy's interesting path to the NFL makes not just for a good story but enough motivation for the 26-year old undrafted rookie to make an active roster.
Lundy, who played for four different teams in college, battled through injuries and took on a number of odd jobs to pay the bills, performed well at the NFL's regional scouting combine in Denver. It wasn't enough to get him drafted, but he's lasted in Cleveland this long. And he does have some upside.
As Brandon Wright of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote in May, "Lundy does bring size to the position. He also possesses receiving ability. A chance to play multiple positions could also increase his chances," noting that Lundy has done some work at H-back in practices.
Lundy said, "I like running between the tackles, and I can catch the ball out of the backfield. But regardless of how I think I can play, it's what the coaches think. I'm out to prove to myself and to everyone else in the organization that I belong."
As long as Lundy can add special teams upside to his versatility as an offensive skill player, he could be one of the last players to make Cleveland's roster.
In: RB Shaun Draughn
3 of 10
It's going to be hard enough for Luke Lundy to make the Browns roster as a running back this year. But Shaun Draughn could also be one of the final five to make it in, mainly because he showed special teams upside as a returner late last year. The Browns re-signed him in March.
Draughn didn't have a single carry after the Browns signed him, but he did return five kickoffs for 115 yards. The Browns may have the same job earmarked for him this year, while rookie back Duke Johnson could handle punt returns.
The Browns have shown a willingness to revamp their entire special teams unit during this offseason. Ultimately, Draughn wrested the kick return job away from Travis Benjamin last year, and the Browns may want him to reprise that role. It also doesn't hurt that Draughn is a veteran running back with pass-catching skills; that could come in handy given that the rest of the Browns' running backs corps is quite young.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
In: FB Malcolm Johnson
4 of 10
One thing the Browns will need with a run-heavy offense is a fullback. And it appears they have the versatile one they have been looking for in Malcolm Johnson. But it may take Johnson proving himself in the preseason to convince the Browns he's worth holding onto, making him a good candidate to be one of the team's final members of the 53-man roster.
Johnson is not only a blocker, but he's also a running back and receiver more in the mold of an H-back. He projects to be a similar player to the Oakland Raiders' Marcel Reece, whom current Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo coached.
DeFilippo said to Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com that, "You see him in the backfield. 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." The Browns may have no choice but to find a roster spot for someone like Johnson who can not only help advance the run game but also boost all areas of the offense.
In: S Jordan Poyer
5 of 10
When starting Browns safety Tashaun Gipson held out from OTAs earlier this spring as part of a contract dispute, Jordan Poyer took all of his first-team reps with the defense. And when Gipson returned for minicamp, having signed his second-round restricted free-agent tender, he arrived with a hamstring strain. Poyer again worked with the starters.
Head coach Mike Pettine also said that it's possible that Poyer keeps working with the first team when training camp kicks off in July—and not as a punishment for Gipson's holdout (via Northeast Ohio Media Group's May Kay Cabot). Poyer has seriously impressed his coaches, which makes him first in line to back up either Gipson or Donte Whitner should anything happen to the starters.
The Browns don't lack for defensive backs, so it may be difficult to choose who to keep and who to cut. But Poyer has taken hold of the opportunity given him, making him worthy of one of the Browns' final roster spots.
Out: K Travis Coons
6 of 10
With kicker Carey Spear one of the last men in on the Browns' 53-man roster, it therefore follows that his competition, Travis Coons, is out. Cleveland won't be using a valuable roster spot on a second kicker.
At this point in June, it's practically a tossup between Coons and Spear, whose competition will continue well into the team's four preseason games. But, as we've used this exercise to declare Spear the winner, it means that Coons is the odd man out.
But no matter which kicker the Browns choose—and which they cut—it's looking likely that the decision will be among the last made about the 53-man roster later this summer.
Out: LB Hayes Pullard
7 of 10
It might be easy to predict a Round 7 pick won't make a 53-man roster, as is the case here with Browns linebacker Hayes Pullard. But it's more than that—since May's rookie minicamp, it's been crickets on Pullard. There are simply no updates—good or bad—about how Pullard has performed in either OTAs or training camp thus far.
Granted, much could change once training camp—and its fully padded, full-contact practices—begins. Pullard could begin to distinguish himself then. But, at this time of year, no news about a rookie is just as bad as poor practice reports about him. If he cannot stand out, a spot on the Browns 53-man roster will be a long shot.
Out: WR/KR Marlon Moore
8 of 10
The Browns will continue to experiment with their kick and punt returners throughout the summer in order to find the players who can make the biggest positive impact on field position. And because Marlon Moore had 13 kickoff returns for 322 yards last year, he'll have opportunities to be that player.
But, it may all be for naught. Though also a receiver, Moore didn't record a single catch last year. And given how crowded the Browns' wide receiver corps already is, it's going to be hard for him to be worthy of regular-season targets again.
Because Moore is a one-trick pony—and can perform the same tricks as other, more versatile members of Cleveland's roster—he looks to be a late-season cut.
Out: WR/KR Travis Benjamin
9 of 10
With the rise of Draughn, Johnson and others at kick and punt returner, Moore isn't the only special teams casualty that could happen in Cleveland late in the season. Travis Benjamin could also be on the chopping block.
Unlike Moore, Benjamin did record catches last year. But it was anything but impressive, with Benjamin being targeted 46 times but only catching 18 of the passes, for 314 yards and three scores. He also lost the hold on both the kick and punt returner jobs after returning 12 kickoffs for 246 yards and 15 punts for just 127.
The Browns are going in a different direction on special teams this year. And Benjamin doesn't bring enough to the table as a receiver to warrant a spot on the 53-man roster this year.
Out: S Johnson Bademosi
10 of 10
For three years, undrafted safety Johnson Bademosi has made his way to the Browns 53-man roster, thanks to how well he has performed on special teams coverage units. Last year, Johnson played only one snap on defense, according to Pro Football Focus, but he was their special teams tackling leader with 12 combined.
But the Browns may be able to get that special teams production out of another player with more on-field potential on either the offensive or defensive side of the ball. And with Jordan Poyer proving an invaluable defensive back in place of starter Tashaun Gipson in OTAs and minicamp already, Poyer has greater upside than Bademosi.
Bademosi will be a tough cut, though. That is why he's one of the last five out for the Browns this year and not simply someone they can unceremoniously dump a month from now.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
