Cleveland Browns on roster bubble before final preseason game
By Dan Justik
Running Back Matthew Dayes
A seventh-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, this past off-season was not a favorable couple of months for Matthew Dayes. With the additions of Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb, Dayes was already on the roster bubble immediately following Chubb’s selection in the second round.
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Despite not playing much in the regular season, the 23-year-old running back showed potential as a poor man’s Duke Johnson. Dayes can catch the ball out of the backfield and can make defenders miss. He also returned kicks last season and did quite well, breaking a return for 71 yards.
But with three players ahead of him on the running back depth chart and more players that can return the ball, Dayes has not had a lot of opportunities to make plays this preseason. Through the first three preseason games, Dayes only has six carries for 16 yards, with no receptions and no returns.
Dayes not getting a lot of playing time has really hurt his status for the future. During last year’s preseason, Dayes played well and showed the type of player that he could be.
With the amount of talent ahead of him, Dayes seems like a very long shot to make the final 53-man roster. If the Browns do decide to cut him and he clears waivers, it would not be a surprise to see him land on the practice squad.