3 Cleveland Browns who need to play well against Indianapolis Colts

Wide receiver Jaelen Strong

The Browns were dealt a hefty blow when it was announced that Antonio Callaway would be missing the first four games of the regular season due to violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Callaway was expected to play a large role in the Browns offense, but that was obviously put on hold. Now there are several receivers who have an even better chance at making the final 53-man roster with Callaway suspended.

One of those players is Jaelen Strong, who has surprisingly spent time with the first-team offense at times during training camp. Strong, as well as Derrick Willies, seems to have taken a step ahead of the rest of the wide receivers fighting for the final roster spots.

Strong played well in the preseason opener, catching both of his targets for 27 yards. However, he did not have the stand out performance that some of the other wide receivers in the competition for the final spots had.

D.J. Montgomery and Ishmael Hyman both made several plays in the passing game and Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi made the big play on special teams, showing the amount of competition there is at wide receiver.

If Strong wants to revitalize his career and make Cleveland’s final roster, he will need to have a big performance against the Colts. He has shown the ability to make plays during training camp, but he needs to show that in a game against defenders that are not his teammates.

A good performance against the Colts could give Strong an upper-hand at one of the final roster spots. With Callaway suspended for the start of the season, there will be an open roster spot, and Strong’s ability to make big plays may give him a good opportunity at taking that roster spot.