Alliance... » Cleveland Browns 53-Man Roster Projection (Final Version)

It is time for my final 53-man roster projection for the Cleveland Browns. General Manager John Dorsey will have to trim the roster from 86 players to 53 players by 4:00 PM ET on Saturday Womens Kevin Zeitler Jersey , September 1st. This edition is based on the weeks of training camp reports, performances from the four preseason games, and my general instincts..dbn {background: #fff;width: 600px;padding: 2px;font-size: 12px;color: #FFFFFF;}tr:first-child td {font-weight: bold;TEXT-ALIGN: center; BACKGROUND: #DF6108; COLOR: white; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom;}td {border: 1px solid #000;padding-left: 2px;}tr:nth-child(even) {background: #330000;color: white;}tr:nth-child(even) td {color: white;}tr:nth-child(odd) {background: #FFDB9F;color: black;}tr td:first-child {text-align:center;font-weight:bold;}The following players would not count toward the 53-man roster:Injured Reserve: WR Ricardo Louis, CB Howard WilsonGeneral Roster Projection NotesSince the first edition of my list, I removed the following four players from my 53-man roster projection:WR Corey ColemanDL Trenton ThompsonLB Mychal KendricksS Simeon ThomasSince the second edition of my list, I added the following four players to my 53-man roster projection:WR Rashard HigginsWR Damion RatleyDL Nate OrchardLB Justin CurrieI will explain each of the roster decisions in the positional bullet points below.Quarterback: As much as I like Brogan Roback for being funny, the team doesn’t need four quarterbacks, even on the practice squad.Running Back: It was a solid final preseason game for Matthew Dayes, but reps will already be hard to divide between the top three backs.Wide Receiver: One of the polarizing decisions I had to make was whether to keep Jeff Janis or not. He has been hurt or done nothing all preseason, but I have to keep telling myself that Cleveland signed him for a niche reason (gunner), and he will still likely be counted on to fulfill that. Whether rookie Damion Ratley makes the roster is up for debate too — I squeeze him on over TE Devon Cajuste. Rashard Higgins was on my cut list before camp, but he’s definitely earned a roster spot with a great camp. What a difference from a year ago.Tight End: People have wondered whether Seth DeValve’s roster spot is in jeopardy. I just don’t see how the team could cut an expected contributor because he was hurt during camp. DeValve has good hands and can stretch the field better than Cajuste can. I was pulling for Cajuste due to his Hard Knocks story, but that drop in the final preseason game was costly.Offensive Line: People are intrigued by what Desmond Harrison can offer as a backup tackle, but I don’t think he’s ready for a 53-man roster spot. The practice squad is the right spot for him to develop. I think the team would trade Shon Coleman if there was an interest in him, but don’t think they are deep enough at tackle to just outright cut him. Greg Robinson had a decent preseason if the club wants to keep him as insurance.Defensive Line: The defensive line position is all over the place due to Trevon Coley’s health. I don’t think veteran Chris Smith will be cut, but he hasn’t been seeing early-game reps. Rookie third-rounder Chad Thomas has had an uneventful camp Youth Baker Mayfield Jersey , but shouldn’t be at risk of being cut. I said Carl Nassib vs. Nate Orchard was a battle I felt would be a “thing” early in camp, and Hard Knocks has played that out too. I was sticking with Nassib over Orchard, but then Orchard had an awesome pick six in the final preseason game. Ugh. As awesome as that one play is, I just don’t know if the staff will feel he is productive enough against starting-level talent. I found a last-second spot for him by taking rookie S Simeon Thomas off the main roster.Linebacker: The sudden departure of Mychal Kendricks definitely threw a wrench in the once-fruitful linebacker depth, and Genard Avery’s injury hurts matters too. James Burgess’ roster spot should be locked in more, but now I have Justin Currie making the final roster too (but he will probably be gone after waiver moves are made).Cornerback: Cleveland stockpiled on cornerbacks this offseason, and I’ve decided to keep all of them. T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines were supposed to battle it out for the other starting corner job, but faded from competition quickly. Still, I think Gregg Williams hated the lack of depth at the position last year and will want that whole room of guys to work with. Safety: The safety room is a bit thin after the first three, so I’m shifting CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun over there to fill out a number. I also think we could see Jabrill Peppers and Derrick Kindred on the field a lot together, helping alleviate some of the number issues at linebacker at times.Special Teams: The kicker competition ended early, with Ross Martin being cut before the final preseason game (but I was keeping Zane Gonzalez anyway). I don’t think Justin Vogel will unseat veteran Britton Colquitt.The single asterisks on the cut side represent my projected practice squad, which includes RB Matthew Dayes, WR Derrick Willies, OT Desmond Harrison, DL Daniel Ekuale Youth Emmanuel Ogbah Jersey , DL Zaycoven Henderson, LB B.J. Bello, LB Jermaine Grace, S Simeon Thomas, CB Jeremiah McKinnon, CB Denzel Rice, and DB Tigie Sankoh.Note: I reserve the right to tweak my 53-man projection by noon on Friday. Final roster cuts are due Saturday by 4 PM ET.Feel free to share your roster projections here, or some changes you would make to mine.Jarvis Landry backs up offseason talk with big day against Steelers Cleveland Browns receivers caught just nine passes, Jarvis Landry grabbing seven of them, in Cleveland’s Week 1 tie with Pittsburgh. He finished with 107 yards on 15 targets, which doesn’t scream efficiency, but the ugly weather and some poor throws contributed to those missed connections.According to Browns communications manager Dan Murphy, Landry now has recorded at least two receptions in each of his past 64 games, which is the second-longest active streak in the league. Antonio Brown leads that list with two catches in 101 consecutive games. Landry also extended his streak of least five receptions to 18 games, tied for the third longest in NFL history, with Brown also leading the way with 36 games—from 2013 to 2015.All offseason Youth Nick Chubb Jersey , and especially during preseason’s Hard Knocks airings, the world watched and listened to Landry’s gusto. We heard him talk about the winless Browns advancing to not just the playoffs, but to the Super Bowl, and sooner than later. “If we get everyone playing to their potential, we can win the Super Bowl this year,” Landry said before the start of training camp.Whether he can still help deliver on that bold prediction is a topic for another day.There remained questions, though, on whether Landry would be able to deliver on Sundays as the Browns hoped to utilize him more down the field than he had been deployed in the past. He caught a ton of passes in Miami during his four years there—led the league, actually, with 400 receptions—and many believed his predominant usage in short-to-intermediate passing game and sub-elite speed meant he wasn’t talented enough to win down the field. Landry had long receptions of 33 and 39 yards on Sunday, and was targeted down the field a few other times. It wasn’t all pretty in Week 1, mainly thanks to some poor throws by Tyrod Taylor and pressure by the Steelers defense. But Landry proved his hardwork and dedication to his craft weren’t just lip service.Here’s Landry’s grab on the 33-yarder, a play that absolutely would have hit the ground if 99 percent of the receivers in the league were the intended target.The biggest thing Landry continues to bring to the team is his determination, which makes him one of the biggest effort players in the league, certainly the biggest on the Browns. Landry’s pancake block on backpeddaling Steelers cornerback Artie Burns surprised the defensive back and made him nearly swing at Landry from the embarrassment. That, or he was miffed about the after-the-block grabbing by Landry while they were on the ground.Either way Youth David Njoku Jersey , it’s actually pretty hilarious how the irate Burns almost got himself ejected.I’d take Landry in three rounds inside an octagon, or any fighting shape of your choice, by the way.Bless’m then, Juice.Despite his spirited effort and strong overall performance, the offense as a whole, including the penalty-riddled offensive line, was entirely unacceptable for the majority of the game. The lone bright spots were Taylor’s legs—although that’s arguably not wholly positive since he couldn’t do very much at all from the pocket—Landry’s performance, Josh Gordon’s pretty touchdown in the front corner of the end zone, and one impressive offensive drive where the Browns moved the ball 96 yards for a score without completing a pass.Landry said loafing and not giving your best effort was “contagious,” I just hope his passion and determination starts to spread more to his offensive peers.Although it’s early, Myles Garrett and the defense are certainly already matching his intensity. Their six forced turnovers were the most by a Browns defense since 2010.