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Cleveland Browns: 5 players with the most to prove in 2021 offseason

By Sam Penix

Oct 18, 2020; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool (11) stiff arms Cleveland Browns linebacker Mack Wilson (51) on an end around during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2020; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool (11) stiff arms Cleveland Browns linebacker Mack Wilson (51) on an end around during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Cleveland Browns
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) /

2. G Drew Forbes

Prospect X was a sixth-round pick back in 2019 out of tiny Southeast Missouri State, and missed all of 2019 with a leg injury. Before that, he was one of the team’s five best offensive linemen during the 2019 preseason, despite the game clearly moving way too fast for him.

The 6-5, 308-pounder is an elite athlete and a perfect scheme fit in Kevin Stefanski’s wide zone offense, and could very well be the replacement for either Joel Bitonio or Wyatt Teller, or perhaps even Jack Conklin since Forbes played tackle in college. The issue is that Forbes opted out of the 2020 campaign, so it’s been a while since he’s seen live-action.

Forbes has competition; Micheal Dunn and Blake Hance both played quite well in emergency relief towards the end of the season, and since it’s unlikely the team will keep 10 offensive linemen, one of the three probably has to go, and it’s a near certainty that they’ll be claimed off waivers by another franchise, so they’ll be gone for good.

The five starters, rookie James Hudson, and super-utility man Chris Hubbard are the locks, and a backup center will be needed, but Nick Harris is not guaranteed a spot either. It will be tough to lose any one of these players, but these are the kinds of decisions that good teams are forced to make.

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