How many rookies will make the Cleveland Browns final roster?
By Thomas Moore
Wide receiver Corey Coleman: Even though he has only played 17 snaps in the preseason due to a hamstring injury, Coleman showed enough in training camp that he will not only make the team but will be a starter from the opening whistle. The days of wasting first-round picks continues to come to an end with Coleman.
Outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah: With Paul Kruger no longer on the roster, Ogbah moves into the starting linebacker role that the Browns envisioned when they drafted him. The team spent most of training camp working Ogbah as a defensive end in the wake of Desmond Bryant’s season-ending injury, but will now revert to the original plan. Hopefully Ogbah is a quick learner.
Defensive end Carl Nassib: The Browns need as many people as possible to put pressure on the quarterback and help out what may be an extremely poor secondary, and through preseason Nassib has kept himself in the middle of the action when he is on the field. He should be in the game on passing situations a lot this fall.
Offensive tackle Shon Coleman: Had he not been recovering from off-season knee surgery, Coleman would have made a stronger push to take over at right tackle. As it currently stands he is third on the depth chart, but that should change over time. Even if Coleman has limited opportunities to get on the field this season, he is too talented to risk losing.
Quarterback Cody Kessler: With all the problems the Browns have along the roster, especially on defense, they really should not be taking the luxury of keeping a third quarterback on the team. Kessler still needs to develop his game before he can even be considered a viable NFL quarterback, and will only see the field this fall during his mandated Week 17 start or when Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown go down with injuries, whichever comes first. Still, the NFL is a starved for quarterbacks, so if the Browns tried to move Kessler to the practice squad there is little doubt that someone will pick him up.
Next: Locks to make the team - Part 2