Way too early prediction of the Cleveland Browns 53 man roster
By Mitch Zoloty
Offensive Line
Absolute Locks:
Jedrick Wills Jr
Jack Conklin
J.C. Tretter
Joel Bitonio
More Than Likely Safe:
Chris Hubbard
50/50 Chance They’re In:
Nick Harris
Wyatt Teller
Drew Forbes
Kendall Lamm
Possibly Practice Squad:
Drake Dorbeck
Alex Taylor
The Browns offensive line position is going to be a curious one. There are four guys who are for sure on the roster next year. Three of the four have or will put pen to paper this offseason, and the other is one of the top players at his position. Things get interesting on the offensive line when trying to project who the starter at right guard will be, along with the backups.
The NFL now mandates that eight offensive linemen be on every roster. I could very much see the Browns rock with 9 guys, especially considering that having J.C. Tretter, Jack Conklin, and Joel Bitonio on the field goal squad may not be a smart idea. If this is the case, then Chris Hubbard and Kendall Lamm would be your backup Offensive Tackles, Nick Harris is your backup Center, and Wyatt Teller and Drew Forbes fight it out for the guard spot.
If the Browns do decide, however, that they want to only take eight offensive linemen into the season, maybe to open up a spot for a wide receiver, things get extremely interesting and competitive. There is a scenario where every single player out of the 50/50 Chance They’re In group along with Chris Hubbard don’t make the roster if its just eight offensive line spots. Hubbard restructured his contract this offseason though, so I see him as the least likely to not make the team.
There’s also a chance that the undrafted free agents Drake Dorbeck and Alex Taylor usurp Kendall Lamm as the backup tackle. Coach Callahan may want his own project, and these guys could find themselves in the position of impressing him early on.
The Browns practice squad will likely have as many linemen as needed to get the team up to 10 or even 11 guys. With Tretter and Bitonio being veterans, you could see them, especially Tretter, earn some days off throughout the week, so having 11 offensive linemen in practice would be especially nice for depth.
As of right now, I’m predicting the Browns to take nine offensive linemen on their 53 man roster. Those should end up being Jedrick Wills Jr, Joel Bitonio, J.C. Tretter, Jack Conklin, Wyatt Teller, Chris Hubbard, Drew Forbes, Kendall Lamm, and Nick Harris.