What the Browns are getting in Marcus Santos-Silva

The Cleveland Browns front office is not afraid to make some noise with loud and franchise-shifting additions like Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper, but what I admire most about this current front office is their ability and willingness to look under every rock for a potential star.

It is no secret that this front office likes the tight end position and it is also known that there have been a few former college basketball players that have made the successful transition to tight end in the NFL and the Browns are looking into a possible success story in Marcus Santos-Silva.

Marcus Santos-Silva played college basketball at VCU from 2017-2020 and then transferred to Texas Tech to finish his collegiate career from 2020-2022. Santo-Silva did not get drafted, but that should be obvious, considering his football resume is shorter than mine, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t potential for him to turn into a regular contributor. Let’s dive in!

Strengths

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Santos-Silva looks to have the potential to be a versatile chess piece at 6-foot and 7-inches tall and weighing 250 pounds, with unique athleticism. Santos-Silva didn’t have enough success on the court to land a role in the NBA, but multiple NFL teams came knocking when he announced his intent to try football again on April 25th.

There are some traits that should be easily transferable to the gridiron from the court like agility and the ability to run a crisp route with sharp cuts should translate. Santos-Silva also has large hands to match his large frame, which should make him a gifted receiver.

Weaknesses

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

I think it is pretty obvious what is going to go under this category. Marcus Santos-Silva has not stepped on the football field since his freshman year of high school. That long absence is devastating and mixing that with the advanced football IQ needed to compete in the NFL does not spell out an ideal situation for Santos-Silva.

Basketball is by no means a soft sport, but football is a different animal. Playing the tight end position means that Santos-Silva will have to put in the dirty work and learn to block and that is a tough skill to learn. The odds are stacked against him, but Santos-Silva can develop into a depth piece if this staff decides to show some patience.

Story originally appeared on Browns Wire