Of the Browns five oldest players, four brought in over last two years
The Cleveland Browns have been a very young team for the past two decades as they restarted their rebuild over and over again. The current iteration of the Browns is no longer rebuilding but instead building a team to compete for the biggest prize of them all in the NFL, a Super Bowl championship.
When general manager Andrew Berry took over in the 2020 offseason, there was concern that he would be overly analytics-driven including focusing on as many young players as possible. While Berry continues to build the roster with young guys, either in the draft or free agency, he hasn’t solely focused on age.
Yesterday, we shared with you Cleveland’s top five players under the age of 25. Today, we shift courses and take a look at the five oldest guys on the Browns roster.
Fifth Oldest - LS Charley Hughlett
(Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports)
Not being a household name is sometimes a bad thing in professional sports. If you are the long snapper for an NFL team, it is a great sign. In this case, few know Charley Hughlett's name but his long tenure in Cleveland makes him a little more recognizable. Going into his seventh season in the league, Hughlett is the fifth oldest Brown at 31 years old. He is a few months younger than the other two 31-year-olds on the team. He's also the only one on this list not brought in by Berry.
Fourth Oldest - DL Malik Jackson
(Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
A lot is expected of Malik Jackson this season especially by fans who see him as the replacement for Sheldon Richardson (who would not have made this list). Jackson was cut by Philadelphia before Cleveland picked him up this offseason. He has played 126 games during his nine-year career. Last year, Jackson started six games and gathered 2.5 sacks. While Jackson is only a piece in replacing Richardson, it is interesting that Berry signed an older player as a part of replacing a player that was just a bit younger.
Third Oldest - LB Malcolm Smith
(AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Malcolm Smith's career has been a rollercoaster. Drafted in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft, Smith went on to win Super Bowl MVP honors in 2014. Since then, Smith has bounced around the league including stops with four other teams before Berry picked him up as a street free agent in 2020. Smith played 15 games for the Browns last season including four starts. Smith returns after Berry re-signed him for one year this offseason. He is two months older than
Second Oldest - DL Damion Square
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
The second-oldest player on the team at this time will likely be fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster. Defensive lineman Damion Square was added this offseason to help provide depth upfront after the loss of Larry Ogunjobi and Richardson. The seven-year pro played the last six seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He's played in 91 games accumulating 120 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback hits. Berry was likely looking for competition, not the future, when adding the 32-year-old Square.
Oldest - QB Case Keenum
Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Case Keenum and Kyle Lauletta were on hand for OTA workouts on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 in Berea, Ohio. [Phil Masturzo/ Beacon Journal]
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The oldest player on the Cleveland roster could be the most important but he also could go unused all season. Backup quarterback Case Keenum was given a solid contract last offseason to come over to the Browns. Some wondered whether he would compete with Baker Mayfield for the starting job but that was not the case. Keenum has bounced around the league in his nine seasons. His longest stint was three seasons in Houston while his most memorable play was in Minnesota where he led them to an 11 - 3 record as a starter. The 33-year-old Keenum is the elder statesman in Cleveland providing wisdom for Mayfield and an insurance policy in case of injury.
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