Cleveland Browns: Players who can win a job in Preseason Week 3
By Randy Gurzi
Writer: Mike Lukas
Player who can win a spot on offense: Tight End Devon Cajuste
Anyone who’s been watching HBO’s Hard Knocks Training Camp with the Cleveland Browns knows who the other juice in Cleveland is – tight end Devon Cajuste.
He’s the soft-spoken, pony-tailed giant who connects with his death-defying father (a survivor of three heart attacks) using an ear-piercing finger-whistle.
Fans have taken to his story, and the Browns have taken to his ball catching abilities.
In four years at Stanford, Cajuste caught 90 balls for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns. He averaged 17.7 yards per catch, his longest being a 78 yarder.
More from Dawg Pound Daily
- Cleveland Browns critics continue to misplace their judgement
- 3 Cleveland Browns players who don’t deserve another season in 2023
- How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
- Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
- 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
Undrafted in the 2016 NFL draft, Cajuste signed with the 49ers but was released during the final team cuts. Last season, he was signed to the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad, and in January he signed a reserve/future contract with the Cleveland Browns.
The only problem is there are three tight ends above Cajuste on the roster, and chances are the Browns will keep three of the four of them at most.
Against the preseason Giants, Cajuste played with the second team and still had two receptions for 27 yards and against preseason Buffalo he caught one pass for 26 yards. He also had a fumble recovery against the Bills that would have counted had coach Hue Jackson’s review been allowable.
Last year’s first-round draft pick David Njoku will be the starting tight end for the Browns in 2018, mostly because he can catch just about anything you can throw at him (including two touchdown passes against the preseason Giants).
But the Browns need a blocking tight end, too, and if that’s going to be Cajuste, he better have a breakout preseason game against the Eagles.
Player who can win a spot on defense: Cornerback Michael Jordan
With a 2017 power ranking of 581, this Michael Jordan isn’t exactly the highest profile player in the Browns’ secondary, so Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles will be crucial to his path to being a Brown again.
Last season, Jordan played in 15 Browns games but only had 13 tackles, 4 assists and 3 passes defended. Last week he had 3 tackles against the preseason Buffalo Bills, tied for first in that category.
Jordan will have to have another game like that against the Eagles if he expects to beat out Terrance Mitchell, the free agent pickup from the Chiefs, Simeon Thomas, the sixth-round draft pick out of Coastal Carolina and the other cornerback whose first name is Denzel, last name Rice, the free agent from the Colts.
Last season the Browns’ defense allowed 201.8 passing yards per game (22nd in the league) and their secondary’s loose coverage didn’t give defensive end Myles Garrett nearly enough time to do the type of quarterback damage he’s capable of.
If Jordan wants to make the team again this season, he’s going to have to prove against the Eagles that he’s part of Cleveland’s new defensive solution, not part of the old defensive problem.