Cleveland Browns: Veterans whose roster spot is in question

Dan Justik

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 24: Jamar Taylor

With Cleveland Browns general manager finishing his first offseason with the organization, which Browns veterans could be on their way out?

Since John Dorsey has joined the Cleveland Browns organization, he has made it known that he wasn’t impressed with the players that the former regime brought in. And he made it known by letting go multiple players in that time-frame.

With the rapid moving part of the offseason finished and the roster likely looking like what it will look like during training camp, there are veterans on the roster who could lose their roster spot to players that Dorsey brought in.

With Dorsey not afraid to move on from players from the old regime, there could be some surprise cuts during training camp. Here we take a look at some of those Browns veterans that Dorsey could move on from before the 2018 season starts.

Jamar Taylor – Cornerback

One of the positions that received a remodel under Dorsey was cornerback. This offseason, Dorsey has added Denzel Ward, T.J. Carrie, E.J. Gaines, Terrance Mitchell, and Simeon Thomas. And not to forget, last year’s fourth round pick Howard Wilson will be healthy after missing all of last season with a fractured patella.

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With all the new faces, it is obvious that Dorsey was not the biggest fan of the veterans from last year. That means some of those players are going to be let go, and the one name that sticks out is Jamar Taylor.

Taylor has started in 29 of the 31 games he has played in Cleveland. In that time, he has recorded three interceptions, all in 2016, and 17 pass deflections. He has played well in a Browns uniform, but may not be a fit in Gregg Williams’ defense. Taylor was one of the players that forced Williams to play off the line of scrimmage, and a lot of zone coverage.

With Williams wanting to get back to his old ways playing press-man coverage, Taylor could the first man out. There have already been reports that he is on the trade block, especially after Ward was drafted.

But the Browns could also cut Taylor loose and not carry that much dead cap. In the second year of the three-year contract extension he signed in December of 2016, cutting Taylor would result in $1.5 million dead cap. With over $50 million in cap space, the Browns will be willing to move on from Taylor in order to get the players that Dorsey brought in playing time.

Shon Coleman – Offensive Tackle

After starting in all 16 games last season and the retirement of Joe Thomas, it would seem that Coleman would have a guaranteed spot on the roster. But the Browns have brought in a lot of depth. They also signed Chris Hubbard, who will be taking over Coleman’s old position at right tackle.

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Coleman will be moving over to left tackle, and will likely be the starting left tackle at the beginning of training camp. But if Austin Corbett can transition smoothly to being a NFL tackle, he will take over as the starter.

What puts Coleman in a tough spot to make the roster is if he does lose the starting job, the Browns are likely only going to carry eight linemen. Two players that are almost locks to make the roster as backups are Spencer Drango and Austin Reiter.

Drango is versatile, as he can play guard or tackle, and teams like to carry one linemen that can play both positions. And Reiter is a center who will most likely be the backup unless Corbett gets moved to center.

That leaves Coleman in a battle with Donald Stephenson and Roderick Johnson to be the eighth man on the line. Stephenson has history with Dorsey and was one of the first signings by Dorsey this offseason. If Coleman does not have the best camp, his days in Cleveland could be numbered.

CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 10: Brett Hundley #7 of the Green Bay Packers is sacked by Nate Orchard #44 of the Cleveland Browns in the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Nate Orchard – Defensive End

Nate Orchard has not lived up to the expectations when he was drafted in the second-round of the 2015 NFL Draft. In 34 games, he has totaled only five sacks, four tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. For a defensive end, those aren’t great numbers.

The past regime may not have been willing to move on from a second-round pick. But with the lack of production, it would not be a surprise to see Dorsey pull the trigger on letting Orchard go.

The Browns have a pair of very solid starters with Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah. They also built great depth with Carl Nassib, and Dorsey additions Chris Smith and Chad Thomas. It is unlikely that Orchard will receive much playing time during the season.

Next: Predicting the Cleveland Browns 53-man roster

Dorsey may want to sign a player to round out his defensive end rotation instead of keeping Orchard. If that is the case, Orchard’s opportunities to remain on the roster may be limited by the time training camp happens.

Dan Justik