The Cleveland Browns had a four-leaf clover and a rabbit’s foot in their back pockets. Despite going through five quarterbacks, the Browns went 11-6 and earned the top wildcard spot in the AFC playoffs. Unfortunately, the clock hid midnight on Joe Flacco’s Cinderella run and the Browns were eliminated by the Houston Texans in the wildcard round.
As the new season begins, Cleveland gets Deshaun Watson back. Will that make them better, though, or is what we’ve seen from the former first-round pick just who he is now? And what will the Browns look like as a whole?
With training camp beginning, the Browns have gotten better at several positions, which means multiple guys will be vying for roster spots and some will find themselves as the odd man out. Here are their three biggest cut candidates.
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson
The man they call DTR was a darling and a dazzle in the preseason, and ended up starting three games. He went 1-2 as a starter, throwing one touchdown to four interceptions and amassed a passer rating of just 51.2. The Browns signed both Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley this offseason to be their backup and third-string quarterbacks, respectively. There just doesn’t appear to be a path for DTR to land on the 53-man roster. However, he will likely have a spot on the practice squad.
WR David Bell
The Browns traded for Jerry Jeudy this offseason - a year after trading for Elijah Moore. They also drafted Jamari Thrash out of Louisville. If we can assume their top five receivers as of right now are Amari Cooper, Jeudy, More, Thrash, and Cedric Tillman, Bell is going to have to joust with James Proche, Jalen Camp and other probable practice squad players to try and earn a roster spot. And that’s assuming the Browns keep receivers. He had three touchdowns last season, but only 14 catches. He could find himself looking for a new team come the end of August.
S Ronnie Hickman
Hickman had a nice showing in 10 games last season, including a pick-six against the New York Jets. However, when looking at the other safeties he'll be competing with, it's quite the uphill battle. Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill are both terrific, D'Anthony Bell is a very solid depth safety, and Rodney McLeod is entering what will be his final season - I highly doubt the Browns cut him. Unfortunately for Hickman, the Browns are very deep at safety. However, should he not make the roster, he'll have a spot on the practice squad or another team's final 53-man roster waiting for him.
