Dawg Pound Daily
FanSided

Four Cleveland Browns who could emerge from Freddie’s dog house

By Elliot Kennel

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 16: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) D'Ernest Johnson #30 of the Cleveland Browns in action against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Browns defeated the Jets 23-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 16: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) D'Ernest Johnson #30 of the Cleveland Browns in action against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Browns defeated the Jets 23-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
MEMPHIS, TN – SEPTEMBER 03: Jonathan Wilson #38 of the Memphis Tigers is blocked by Drew Forbes #76 of the Southeast Missouri Redhawks on September 3, 2016 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Southeast Missouri State 35-17. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN – SEPTEMBER 03: Jonathan Wilson #38 of the Memphis Tigers is blocked by Drew Forbes #76 of the Southeast Missouri Redhawks on September 3, 2016 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Southeast Missouri State 35-17. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

Right guard Drew Forbes

MItch Zoloty describes the potential of Drew Forbes in a DPD article of March 27. Forbes seemed like a perfect match to the right guard position for the Browns, after Austin Corbett crashed and burned — Corbett, by the way, wound up becoming a starter for the Los Angeles Rams, so perhaps this draft pick was not the complete waste he was made out to be, given a new coach and a different system.  But that is a different story.

Forbes injured his knee late in summer camp and was placed on Injured Reserve, apparently ending his season. But wait! He healed quickly and was back on the practice field in October. Under a new rule, general manager John Dorsey was allowed to promote him back onto the active roster.

More from Browns News

It sounds bizarre, but apparently Kitchens had Forbes work out at center, according to Jeff Risdon writing in Brownswire. The Browns had already wavered as to whether he should be a guard or a tackle, Why would anyone take a promising kid from a small college like Southeast Missouri, and welcome him to the NFL by having him divide his attention between all five offensive line positions?

This is the same formula for disaster used on Cam Erving, who flopped in Cleveland at left guard, right tackle and center, and then Austin Corbett who flopped at left tackle, right guard and center.

As a result of these brilliant maneuverings, Forbes was brought back to the 53-player active roster. — and played zero offensive snaps. Drew, what did you do to Freddie Kitchens? It must have been something awful if he could not find an opportunity with all the carnage that befell the offensive line last season.

We don’t know why, but the coaching staff apparently decided to punish Forbes by making him a backup center. However, special teams coach Mike Priefer used Forbes as a guard on special teams.

Home/Browns News