This week, the Cleveland Browns, like the other 31 NFL teams, lopped their roster from 90 players to 53. This literally sends over a thousand NFL players to the unemployment line, though with the recent expansion of practice squads to 15, around 30% of those can return.
There were few surprises, though some questions remain. Let’s get into it.
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Presenting the Final 53: Your 2023 Cleveland Browns
Browns initial 53-man roster by position:
Quarterbacks (2): Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Deshaun Watson
Running backs (3): Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr.
Wide receivers (6): David Bell, Amari Cooper, Marquise Goodwin, Elijah Moore, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cedric Tillman
Tight ends (3): Jordan Akins, Harrison Bryant, David Njoku
Offensive linemen (9): Joel Bitonio, Jack Conklin, Nick Harris, James Hudson III, Dawand Jones, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller, Jedrick Wills Jr., Luke Wypler
Defensive linemen (9): Jordan Elliott, Myles Garrett, Shelby Harris, Siaki Ika, Isaiah McGuire, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Za’Darius Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson, Alex Wright
Linebackers (7): Matthew Adams, Mohamoud Diabate, Tony Fields II, Jordan Kunaszyk, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Sione Takitaki, Anthony Walker Jr.
Defensive backs (11): D’Anthony Bell, Grant Delpit, M.J. Emerson Jr., Mike Ford Jr., A.J. Green, Ronnie Hickman, Rodney McLeod, Cameron Mitchell, Greg Newsome II, Juan Thornhill, Denzel Ward
Specialists (3): Corey Bojorquez, Dustin Hopkins, Charley Hughlett
On Wednesday, the Browns claimed CB Kahlef Hailassie off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs and waived CB A.J. Green III to make room. Green could be a candidate for the practice squad, though the Cleveland Browns have already filled their 15.
From their cuts, the team resigned 12: CB Lorenzo Burns, WR Jaelon Darden, G Michaell Dunn, RB Hassan Hall, DT Trysten Hill, DE Sam Kamara, S Tanner McCalister, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, DE Lonnie Phelps, LB Charlie Thomas III, DE Isaiah Thomas and WR Austin Watkins.
They also added K Lucas Havrisik, T Alex Leatherwood, and QB P.J. Walker.
Cleveland Browns Resolve Some Special Teams Questions, But Cuts Create More
After spending the entire preseason backing wayward kicker Cade York, the team finally pulled the plug on that experiment. The Cleveland Browns shipped a 2025 7th-round choice to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for veteran K Dustin Hopkins. Hopkins, who had injury trouble last year, lost his camp battle to 2nd-year Cameron Dicker, the kicker who subbed for him last season. But Hopkins is one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, making 84.8% of his field goals and 94.4% of his extra points.
The Browns had hoped to retain York on the practice squad and see if their coaching staff couldn’t cure the 2nd year pro of his case of the yips. However, York opted for a change of scenery, joining the practice squad of the Tennesse Titans. The Browns signed Lucas Havrisik to its practice squad instead.
While the Cleveland Browns have seemingly solidified their kicker situation, their kick returners have been thrown into sudden turmoil. After losing primary kick returner Jakeem Grant for the season, RB Demetric Felton Jr. was expected to win the role. Felton, however, was among the final roster cuts and has since been signed to the practice squad of the Cincinnati Bengals.
RB Jerome Ford filled in for Grant last season (who also missed all of 2022), but Ford has been tapped as Nick Chubb’s primary understudy. He’ll be challenged for that by RB Pierre Strong Jr, who the Cleveland Browns acquired from the New England Patriots. Strong has little experience returning, however. This will be a battle to watch, but given Ford’s returning experience, he might be back to KR1.
Six Andrew Berry Draft Choices Cut
Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry is loathe to cut his own draft choices. But the team cut six of his picks this week. In addition to York and Felton, WR Anthony Schwartz and three defensive linemen were let go.
Schwartz is the highest profile of them. The third-year pro was drafted to be the speedster for the Cleveland Browns. But Schwartz has never developed as expected, and the addition of Marquise Goodwin made him expendable. Schwartz looked terrible in the preseason, fumbling his first catch and dropping his second. He missed the final game with an injury.
Defensive linemen Perrion Winfrey, Tommy Togiai, and Isaiah Thomas found themselves unemployed on Tuesday, though Thomas landed back on the practice squad Wednesday. While it may seem surprising for Berry to cut three of his draft choices from a single position, the defensive line room was very crowded the last few weeks. Newly installed defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz values a deep bench on his line, and the team brought in five through free agency. This was less a failure of evaluation and more the consequences of a significant scheme change.
Surprising Quarterback Drama For the Cleveland Browns
When the Cleveland Browns took QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson with its fifth-round pick in April, it was thought he’d essentially take a red-shirt season as the team’s QB3. But Thompson-Robinson turned in an electric preseason and is already a fan favorite. So not only did he make the team, but he also pushed out existing QB2 Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs was traded to the Arizona Cardinals last week along with a 7th-round pick in exchange for a 5th-rounder.
With Thompson-Robinson set as QB Deshaun Watson’s primary backup, the team held on to Kellen Mond through the fourth preseason game. Mond had been waived, but when the team surprisingly traded Dobbs, Mond’s waiver drop was pulled back. Mond was cut six days later, and it was expected he would rejoin the team’s practice squad Wednesday. Instead, the team flip-flopped on him for a third time in less than a week, instead adding P.J. Walker to the practice squad instead. Walker ironically becomes the oldest QB on the roster. He spent the preseason with the Chicago Bears after three years with the Carolina Panthers. Walker started five games for the Panthers in 2022, completing 59.4% of his passes for three touchdowns, three INTs, and a 78.0 rating.
Another Fan Favorite Lands on the Practice Squad
After a huge preseason, many Cleveland Browns hopefuls wanted to see WR Austin Watkins Jr. make the final 53. Watkins was waived in the final cut to 53 on Tuesday despite his production, with the team opting to keep 2022 third-round choice David Bell instead. To displace Bell, Watkins would’ve needed to contribute significantly on special teams, either as a returner or a gunner, and he has little experience with either. His skill set is also similar to that of rookie WR Cedric Tillman, making him all the more expendable. Watkins was immediately added to the Cleveland Browns practice squad Wednesday, turning down practice squad offers from a litany of other NFL teams.
While Watkins didn’t make it, the Cleveland Browns did keep two undrafted rookies in linebacker Mohamoud Diabate and safety Ronnie Hickman. Both were significant contributors during the preseason, and it would have been hard for the team to ignore Hickman’s three interceptions in four games.
Still Some Holes on the Roster
In addition to kick returner, the Cleveland Browns still have some questions to sort through. Neither Strong nor Ford have significant NFL experience carrying the ball. Several veterans still remain available. This includes former Brown RB Kareem Hunt and RB Leonard Fournette, late of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After losing LB Jordan Kunaszyk, the team is still perilously thin at linebacker. Neither Sione Takitaki nor Anthony Walker Jr. contributed much during training camp and the preseason. Both are returning from significant injuries in 2022. If the Browns have another run at linebacker like last season, things will get harried pretty fast.
The 2023 Cleveland Browns will get their first regular season test on Sunday, September 10. They play their rival Cincinnati Bengals in Cleveland.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
