Cleveland Browns: 3 Players who helped their standing in preseason Week 1

The Cleveland Browns had a fantastic preseason opener against the Washington Redskins and these three players are in much better personal shape as well following the game

Following an offseason full of hype, the Cleveland Browns delivered in their first preseason game of the 2019 season. A 30-10 win was set up by an explosive drive by the first-team offense, which also happened to be their only drive.

From there, the backups took over and it was never really a close game. While the score doesn’t matter in an exhibition game, there is plenty to take away from the contest. Players are fighting to make the roster and need these games to prove they’re capable of playing in the NFL.

After the first preseason game, we already looked at three players who hurt their standing with the team — whether that be in search of a certain position on the depth chart or even simply a spot on the 53-man roster. Now, we will look at three members of the Browns who helped their standing with the team in the win against Washington.

3. Jaelen Strong, Wide Receiver

There’s a pretty decent competition going on in a very crowded Cleveland receiving corps right now. Ahead of Thursday’s game, it seemed as though former third-round pick Jaelen Strong was on the outside looking in. However, he carried a strong camp performance into the opening game as he got the start with Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry taking the night off.

Strong was even on the receiving end of the first completion from Baker Mayfield on Thursday as he pulled in an 11-yard grab on 2nd-and-10 from their own 11-yard line. He later caught a 16-yard pass, which was his only other target on the night.

It may not have seemed like a lot in the stat sheet, but Strong made the most out of his opportunity and the fact that Mayfield looked to him so quickly speaks highly of the way he has been playing.