Former Browns to watch in The Spring League
The Spring League will kick-off and the upstart league is worth watching. Despite being named The Spring League, they are going to be kicking off in the fall with their first contest on October 27th. The league will be broadcasted on Tuesdays & Wednesdays every week until the championship on November 23rd.
The Spring League is best described as a developmental opportunity for fringe roster guys looking to get another shot. Some famous alums include Greg Hardy as well as some interesting former Browns like Johnny Manziel and Kellen Winslow. Those guys were “washed” when they found their way to The Spring League, but there are a few guys who earned their shot through this experience. Players like New England Patriots tight end, Paul Butler, Nate Holley of the Miami Dolphins and former Browns training camp stud, Blake Jackson all came from the Spring League.
The following is a breakdown of each former Brown on each team:
Alphas:
Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi: Every Cleveland Browns fan will remember the name, Sheehy-Guiseppi. The definition of a training camp hero, Sheehy-Guiseppi went from homeless to returning a punt for a touchdown in an NFL preseason game, but unfortunately he failed to make the final cuts in 2019. Sheehy-Guiseppi landed with the New York Guardians, but suffered an injury with the now-defunct league.
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Bug Howard: Howard was picked up by Cleveland in 2017 after being cut by the Indianapolis Colts and was on the practice squad before being cut before the 2018 season. He was then picked up by the Carolina Panthers before making the final cuts there and has bounced around, including making a stop in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football.
Anthony Stubbs: Stubbs is a player that most Browns fans won’t remember as he was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Prairie View A&M before being released for roster cutdowns. He found his way to the XFL after and will look to show his improvements in The Spring League.
Blues:
Jhavonte Dean: Unlike Stubbs, Dean is a name some fans will remember as he blew the doors off rookie minicamp after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Miami. Dean earned a contract but was released for final cuts in 2019. Dean was a first-round selection in the XFL, but suffered an injury and missed the entire season. He was then signed to the CFL, but the season was canceled due to COVID-19. Dean is a player who has the size at 6-1 and speed being timed in the 4.3s and is a key name to watch.
Generals:
Channing Stribling: Stribling was one of the jewels of the undrafted free agent class of 2017 as the physical cornerback was outstanding at Michigan and the hope was that it could translate for the Cleveland Browns. He was released due to roster cuts and bounced around the NFL including with the Indianapolis Colts. He also spent time in the AAF, CFL and XFL.
Amani Dennis: Dennis was invited to the 2019 training camp after having an outstanding career at the Division Three level with Carthage College, but the leap from D3 to NFL ended up being too much. He is a name to keep an eye on though as more experience may help him make the leap eventually.
Jousters:
Chuck Bresnahan: Bresnahan is not a player, but is the head coach of the Jousters. Older fans might remember he made his professional coaching debut with the Cleveland Browns in 1994 under Bill Belichick as an assistant linebackers coach. Belichick found Bresnahan when he was the defensive coordinator for Maine. He was promoted to the linebackers coach for the 1995 season before moving onto the Indianapolis Colts staff as a linebackers coach after Cleveland moved to Baltimore. Bresnahan spent time in the now-defunct United Football League previously.
