Cleveland Browns: 5 Under the radar breakout candidates in 2020
By Randy Gurzi
5. Drew Forbes, Offensive Guard
In 2019, the Browns made a bold move when they decided to send Kevin Zeitler to the New York Giants in exchange for Olivier Vernon. It was easy to see what John Dorsey, the team’s general manager at that time, was thinking when he made this trade.
Cleveland was strong on the interior of their offensive line with J.C. Tretter at center and Joel Bitonio at left guard. They also had the No. 33 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft Austin Corbett on hand. As for defensive end, they had struggled to generate consistent pressure opposite Myles Garrett.
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Adding Vernon gave them another edge rusher that could bring the heat as they paired the veteran Pro Bowler with you up and coming Garrett. And in order for this to look like a win, they simply just needed Corbett to be survivable.
That never happened though, and Corbett is now in Los Angeles with the Rams after the Browns completely gave up on him.
And with Corbett not working out, Cleveland had a revolving door at the position and still don’t have their starting right guard — but there’s one prospect to keep an eye on for that role — second-year player Drew Forbes.
Forbes was a sixth-round pick out of Southeast Missouri State. He played tackle collegiately but is expected to be a guard at the NFL level. He ended up playing in just two games as he spent most of his rookie season on IR with a knee injury.
Prior to the injury, Forbes was garnering great praise from the coaching staff. As long as he continues to show the new staff he can play, there’s a chance Forbes could break out and become a starter for the Browns.