Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears: Colt McCoy Has His Day

The final preseason game of the year is upon us, otherwise known as "the game in which future UPS drivers fight with each other over the last few roster spots."

Head Coach Eric Mangini already has confirmed that Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace will not play so he can get extended looks at Colt McCoy and Brett Ratliff.

This really isn't a high-pressure situation for McCoy since his roster spot is secure at this point, but it is an important game in his development. McCoy will need to show the team he's made progress throughout this preseason.

McCoy hasn't gotten a lot of snaps in practice or in the preseason games, and he has looked like a raw, third-round draft pick. There's nothing wrong with that at this time, but the fan in all of us wants to see him do better.

For Ratliff, this game probably is a chance for him to showcase his skills in the hope that another team will pick him up.  He is no longer eligible for the Browns practice squad, and the chances of the Browns keeping four quarterbacks on the roster is slim.

If the Browns do keep all four quarterbacks, it's because they're not comfortable with where McCoy is in his development, and want to keep Ratliff around in case of catastrophic injury to the quarterback position.

As has been said before, though, Ratliff wasn't allowed on the field last year even after Brady Quinn had been injured, and Derek Anderson was benched once previously.

Moving on to the other positions, running back Montario Hardesty will get some quality time in tonight, and if he looks as good as promised, Jerome Harrison probably will find himself on the trading block.

Harrison's run of good games last year wasn't enough to secure the top spot on the running back depth chart, and his preseason fumbilitis hasn't helped his cause.

Moving down the depth chart, James Davis has the edge to make the roster over Chris Jennings, according to some rumors floating out of Berea, but that's what the fourth preseason game is for, to help the coaches make this decision.

Turning to the defense, David Veikune definitely is on the roster bubble, and he's going to have to seriously impress the coaches versus the Bears to make the team. While he's all over the field, he never really seems to be where the play is.

Veikune was a second-round draft pick last year, but he had a terrible rookie season and his 2010 preseason hasn't been going much better. A good coaching staff will admit their mistake and cut their losses now if he doesn't show any improvement. It stinks blowing a second-round draft pick, but that's a different argument.

It's also vital for the defensive line to show some cohesion and improvement, but depending on how much the starters play, or if Mangini really has decided who the starters are going to be, it will be a hard decision all around.

The secondary still is hampered by Abe Elam's inability to cover speedy receivers, and the last few games showed the Browns defense has difficulty covering tight ends.

If you're not watching Ohio State, the Browns game tonight should be fairly interesting from a developmental aspect, but don't expect to see the game of the year.