Browns Players Who Need Impressive Camp to Avoid Being Cut

Browns Players Who Need Impressive Camp to Avoid Being Cut

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The Cleveland Browns are set to begin training camp on Saturday. At that point, the march to the 2023 NFL season (during which the Browns hope to make a return to the playoffs) will officially be underway.

There could be a lot of competition in Cleveland’s camp this year. The team has a good bit of depth across its roster, and quite a few players could be on the bubble this summer.

Sure, players such as running back Nick Chubb, defensive end Myles Garrett and other top stars will be locks to make the Browns’ roster. Others will need to come to training camp ready to prove they deserve one of the 53 spots.

Here’s a look at several Cleveland players who may need to have impressive showings in camp in order to avoid potentially being cut prior to the start of the 2023 regular season.

Anthony Schwartz, WR

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The Browns have built a lot of depth in their receiving corps in recent years. That’s going to make for some difficult decisions as training camp goes on and when the preseason comes to a conclusion in early September.

There are at least eight WRs on Cleveland’s roster with legitimate cases to make the team. Amari Cooper may be the only lock among the group, although Elijah Moore (acquired in a March trade with the New York Jets) should also be among the front-runners at receiver.

Because there are so many playmakers, the Browns may end up having to part with somebody such as Anthony Schwartz, a 22-year-old who has flashed some potential over his first two NFL seasons. He hasn’t put up huge numbers (186 receiving yards and two total touchdowns in 25 games), but he has a solid skill set that could lead him to better results.

Schwartz, a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, needs to have a good showing in Cleveland’s training camp, though. Otherwise, it’s possible he could get lost in the mix.

David Njoku, TE

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Would the Browns actually consider cutting David Njoku? That remains to be seen. But it’s no secret the 27-year-old wanted to get a fresh start somewhere else in the past, as he made it publicly known that he’d requested a trade.

Cleveland has almost too much depth at tight end with Jordan Akins and Harrison Bryant also on its roster. There may not be room for all of them to get substantial time on the field.

Of course, if the Browns wanted to move on from Njoku, they could first pursue a trade. And there could be plenty of interest in the 2017 first-round draft pick who had 58 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games last season.

But if Njoku has a huge training camp, Cleveland may decide its best move is to keep him. That’s assuming he wants to stay with the team, though.

A.J. Green III, CB

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A.J. Green III has been a solid depth cornerback for the Browns in recent years. He played in all 17 games last season, recording 18 tackles and his second career interception. But he’s made only two starts over 31 games in his first three years in the NFL.

It’s unlikely that Green will move into a starting role for Cleveland, which has Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II and Martin Emerson Jr. at the top of its CB depth chart. It also has some solid depth at the position, with rookie Cameron Mitchell (a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of Northwestern) now in the mix as well.

A handful of cornerbacks will be battling for limited roster spots in camp. At the end, the Browns are likely going to have to cut a couple of cornerbacks that they may have wished they could keep.

Green may be on the wrong side of the bubble come late in training camp. However, he has the opportunity to prevent that from being the case by performing well this summer.