Cleveland Browns 53-man roster projections: One week left in training camp to impress

BEREA — It is, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, getting late early when it comes to candidates to make the Browns' initial 53-man roster.

There's been no progressive cuts through the course of camp. There's just going to be one giant cleaver taken to 37 individuals' hopes by 4 p.m. Aug. 29.

That, it should be pointed out, is a week from Tuesday. Between now and then, the Browns are scheduled for their final four training camp practices, plus a road preseason game Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Fresh off essentially a week in Philadelphia, where the Browns spent two days practicing against before playing an audition-tape preseason game against the Eagles, it seems like a good time to take a crack at another roster projection. Why not, right?

The first one came out right after the Browns concluded their offseason program in early June. This one is coming out with the benefit of almost of month's worth of training camp practice and three preseason games.

That provides some clarity that the first one didn't have. However, that's also opened the door for multiple injuries to occur that have clouded up the process as well.

What follows is a look at an educated guess at what the Browns will do in terms of who makes the initial 53-man roster. What was also attempted was to point out some players who may — or we definitely know will in three cases — start out on injured reserve as they recover from camp injuries.

We'll do one more on the morning of cutdown day.

Again, this is just a projection at what the roster will look like at 4:01 p.m. Aug. 29. What it looks like at 12:01 p.m. Aug. 30, following the passage of the waiver deadline, may be somewhat different.

What it looks like on Sept. 10, when the Browns open the season against the Cincinnati Bengals, is the only roster that really matters ultimately. But let's dive in now to what it could look like in a little more than a week.

OFFENSE (26)

Quarterback (3)

Active roster: Deshaun Watson, Joshua Dobbs, Dorian Thompson-Robinson

We good here? Are there's really any questions about this group? Let's move along then.

Running back (3)

Active roster: Nick Chubb, John Kelly Jr., Demetric Felton Jr.

Injured reserve: Jerome Ford

Ford's hamstring is doing to the running back room what Harrison Bryant's medical condition is doing for the tight end group. It's creating an extra issue that wasn't foreseen from the outset of camp. This targets a start on IR, which isn't a certainty, but also not out of the realm of possibilities, either. Enter Kelly, who may finally get his chance at the active roster after multiple years on the practice squad. Keep an eye out, though, for Jordan Wilkens, who was signed a week ago and has dozens of NFL games under his belt.

Wide receiver (7)

Active roster: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cedric Tillman, David Bell, Jakeem Grant Sr., Austin Watkins Hr.

Injured reserve: Marquise Goodwin, Michael Woods II

Grant's on this roster because he's going to be the primary punt return man. Bell's done nothing in camp to indicate he's taken a step forward from his rookie season, but he's done nothing to indicate what's currently healthy and on the roster should cost him a spot either. Austin Watkins Jr. has been arguably the star on offense this preseason after signing on July 22. His production may be too much for the Browns to ignore, and in the process they cut bait with 2021 third-round pick Anthony Schwartz.

Tight ends (3)

Active roster: David Njoku, Jordan Akins, Harrison Bryant

Bryant's medical condition that has kept him out of camp the last two-plus weeks could be a pathway to Zaire Mitchell-Paden making the club, if only for the time being. If Bryant can return to practice this week, it could signal a chance he doesn't start on injured reserve.

Offensive tackle (4)

Active roster: Jedrick Wills Jr., Jack Conklin, James Hudson III, Dawand Jones

Sorry, Tyrone Wheatley Jr. It's a tough business. If there's a way the Browns can keep five tackles, as offensive line coach Bill Callahan wishes, he'll be there as well. Otherwise, it would take an unfortunate injury to one of the other four.

Offensive interior linemen (6)

Active roster: Ethan Pocic, Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Michael Dunn, Nick Harris, Luke Wypler

Injured reserve: Drew Forbes

Forbes' back injury is something to keep an eye on. Wypler's spent too much time this preseason learning to play guard for that not to mean something for his long-term future. The other option is Wes Martin, who started last Thursday's preseason game in Philadelphia.

DEFENSE

Defensive ends (4)

Active roster: Myles Garrett, Za'Darius Smith, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Isaiah McGuire

Injured reserve: Isaiah Thomas, Alex Wright

It feels a touch light, does it? Maybe there's one more they add to the group, either a Sam Kamara or someone still out there unsigned. The losses of Thomas and Wright hurt from a depth perspective, not a returning production perspective.

Defensive tackles (5)

Active roster: Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris, Jordan Elliott, Siaki Ika, Maurice Hurst II

These five all seem like definite choices. You could quibble maybe with one. It's then a question of, if not him, who? The guess is that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will offset the lower number of tackles with more three-end looks, which he did a lot of in the practices with the Eagles. Or they could just go out and sign someone else.

Linebackers (5)

Active roster: Anthony Walker Jr., Sione Takitaki, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jordan Kunaszyk, Mohamoud Diabate

Injured reserve: Matthew Adams, Jacob Phillips (season-ending)

Jacob Phillips' season-ending torn pectoral muscle stinks for one of the truly nice guys in the Browns locker room. This is a business, though, so that unfortunately has to be viewed as helpful in terms of sorting this group out. The five above all feel like locks based upon preseason work they've gotten. The call may come down to Diabate, who has stood out since being signed as an undrafted free agent in April, or third-year pro Tony Fields II, unless they can find another cut elsewhere. Adams' calf injury kept him out weeks, which makes this a bit of a projection. Is he healthy enough to make the initial 53? Or is he someone the team possibly could start on IR to allow him more ramp-up time? That could also aid the numbers game at other spots.

Cornerbacks (6)

Active roster: Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Martin Emerson Jr., A.J. Green, Mike Ford, Cameron Mitchell

This feels like the six. The only potential fly in the ointment is Green's shoulder, which would just shift him to injured reserve. Ward, Newsome and Emerson are having the kind of preseason, when healthy, that enters them into the conversation of best cornerback trios in the league. Ford and Mitchell have both been impressive in making plays when called upon, and will definitely be special teams aces for the Browns.

Safety (4)

Active roster: Juan Thornhill, Grant Delpit, Rodney McLeod, Ronnie Hickman

This is a battle for the fourth safety spot. Either D'Anthony Bell stays with the team for a second season, or he's replaced by Ohio State product — and fellow undrafted free agent — Ronnie Hickman, who has absolutely made plays this preseason. It's hard to go against the pedigree of a former Buckeye defensive back.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Specialists (3)

Active roster: Cade York, Corey Bojorquez, Charley Hughlett

The only competition brought into training camp for any of these three was Joseph Charlton, who was in a theoretical battle with Bojorquez for the punting role. Charlton hasn't been in camp for more than a week. York's preseason hasn't been awe-inspiring, but it hasn't led the Browns to so much as work out another kicker.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns 53-man roster projection: Last week until final cuts