Cleveland Browns Week 1 Stock Report

We are mere days away from the Cleveland Browns opening their 2015 season against the New York Jets. The 53-man roster is finalized, for now, as is the practice squad. And with so much player movement, clearly some members of the Browns have fared better than others.

Here is the Week 1 stock report for the Browns. Who is on the rise and who is trending downward? Read on to find out.

Stock Up: WR Terrelle Pryor

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

It seemed as though quarterback-turned-wide receiver Terrelle Pryor was firmly on the Browns' roster bubble last Friday, the day before the team was required to trim its ranks down to 53 players. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer, head coach Mike Pettine said: "It is a project to take a guy that has played quarterback for the vast majority of his football career. Even if he had stayed completely healthy, I don't know if we would have all the results in or feel 100 percent comfortable. Even if he had gone the whole time and not gotten injured, it certainly it would be a leap of faith."

But the Browns chose to take that leap of faith, keeping Pryor around, at least for now. Pettine said in his Monday press conference: "That spot is largely because of his potential, but as the season goes on, I mean it's sooner than later that that’s going to have to translate, that's he's going to have to be a productive member of this team."

This means that Pryor isn't guaranteed to hang onto his roster spot for the entirety of the 2015 season if he cannot show development that eventually leads him onto the field. But the fact that he's made it for now is a sign that the Browns value his playmaking potential and believe he can fully realize it at some point this year.

Stock Down: CB Justin Gilbert

David Richard/Associated Press

Nothing has yet to be finalized about the Browns' plans at nickel cornerback for Week 1, but based on Justin Gilbert's summer, it's likely Cleveland will pass him over for K'Waun Williams against the New York Jets.

Gilbert claimed he was "flawless" to reporters in the team's preseason opener against Washington, something that was clearly not the case. Then, the Buffalo Bills offense harassed him during joint practices the following week. He injured his hip during the week of practice and was not seen in the preseason again, missing the next three games.

Per Cabot, Pettine said that the only way for Gilbert to improve was "to play his way out of it." But Gilbert hasn't been able to, given his hip issue. And until he can—which will now have to happen on the practice field—he's likely going to be spending at least Week 1 mostly on the bench.

Stock Up: Running Back Isaiah Crowell

Scott Audette/Associated Press

When the Browns traded running back Terrance West to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, it meant good things for both rookie Duke Johnson as well as Isaiah Crowell.

But with Johnson still in the league's concussion protocol and having missed nearly all of the preseason with a hamstring injury before suffering his concussion in Week 4, Crowell will benefit most from the move.

For now, he is firmly established as the Browns' starting running back. Though Johnson may be cleared in time for Sunday's game and Shaun Draughn could be called up from the practice squad, Cleveland's run game, for now, appears to be centered on Crowell.

Last year, he rushed 148 times for 607 yards and eight touchdowns and averaged 4.1 yards per carry while splitting time with West. This year, without West holding Crowell's touches back and with Johnson's NFL development at least temporarily slowed, he could be one of the league's most productive backs.

Stock Down: WR Dwayne Bowe

Associated Press

When the Browns signed free-agent wide receiver Dwayne Bowe in the spring, the hope was that he'd step in as the deep-threat playmaker, much like Josh Gordon was before his indefinite suspension.

But a summertime hamstring strain, combined with a lackluster showing in the preseason, has seen him drop to third string on the Browns' Week 1 depth chart. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Bowe played only 39 snaps in two preseason games this summer and caught only one pass on four targets for eight yards. He also had a drop.

Whether it's because of his injury or a struggle to get on the same page with quarterback Josh McCown, Bowe hasn't quite been what the Browns had expected. And now he's in danger of being inactive in Week 1, based on where he stands on the depth chart early in the week.

Stock Up: TE Rob Housler

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

Veteran tight end Rob Housler isn't atop his position's depth chart right now—he's No. 3, presently, behind Gary Barnidge and Jim Dray. But Housler's stock is on the rise simply because he made the 53-man roster.

Housler not making it seemed an impossibility when he was signed in the spring. But in the early part of training camp, he struggled with dropped passes, which kept him from being a major player in the Browns' first preseason games.

As the summer progressed, though, Housler improved to the point that head coach Mike Pettine said before final roster cuts on Saturday that "finishing on a high note" would help him stick on the 53, according to Steve Doerschuk of CantonRep.com. Indeed, that came to pass, and now Housler has the opportunity to take the field for the Browns and redeem himself.