Cleveland Browns: 5 players who could still surprisingly be cut

Five Cleveland Browns players who could be surprise cuts this offseason

The Cleveland Browns don’t seem to have a ton of roster spots available for taking this offseason, but there are always surprises with position battles. Here are five players who will likely make the roster, but whose jobs are far from secure.

5. WR KhaDarel Hodge

KhaDarel Hodge is primarily a special teamer (and a very, very good one at that), but when he’s been given the opportunity, he’s proven to be a reliable target on offense. 27 targets over 25 games isn’t much, and it will be even more difficult for him to find snaps this year, but having a dependable player as the last man on the depth chart is valuable, especially if that isn’t his primary job.

In 2020, Hodge caught 11 of his 17 targets for 180 yards, and it seemed like every one of his catches was important. And indeed they were; his average depth of target was 17.6 yards, and every single one of his catches was a first down.

The Browns kept five wide receivers on the roster last season, and now have the exact same room but with the addition of rookie speedster Anthony Schwartz. It’s quite difficult to see any of Schwartz, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, or Donovan Peoples-Jones making the team, which does put a lot of pressure on Hodge.

However, with the continued evolution of the Cleveland offense, increased use of 11-personnel seems quite possible this season; the more the Browns let Baker Mayfield do, the better he played, and the more the team won. That trend should continue, and most teams do keep six WRs.

That, combined with Hodge’s special teams prowess, gives him a good chance to stick around, even at his $2.1 million cap hit. The loss of Tavierre Thomas hurts Cleveland’s special teams unit; it would be unwise for the Browns to move on from both of their top-two special teamers in the same offseason.