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Cleveland Browns: 5 long shots who could make the 2021 roster

By Sam Penix

EAST LANSING, MI - SEPTEMBER 02: Malik McDowell #4 of the Michigan State Spartans works against Harrison Monk #71 of the Furman Paladins during the first half of a game at Spartan Stadium on September 2, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - SEPTEMBER 02: Malik McDowell #4 of the Michigan State Spartans works against Harrison Monk #71 of the Furman Paladins during the first half of a game at Spartan Stadium on September 2, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Browns
Aug 16, 2020; Jacksonville, Florida, United States; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II (15) takes a snap behind offensive tackle KC McDermott (62) and offensive tackle Blake Hance (72) and defensive tackle Davon Hamilton (52) during training camp drills at the Dream Finders Homes training facility. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Blake Hance

Hance is in a similar position as Taylor, but he has NFL tape to his name. He had barely joined the team before being thrust into action in the Browns first playoff game since 2002, and performed well against one of, if not the best defensive line in the league. He’ll be forever remembered in Cleveland lore as “a guy named Blake”.

He was then called upon the next week against the Kansas City Chiefs, after starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. and backup Kendall Lamm both went down with injuries. Hance is listed as a guard, so this was definitely an emergency situation. When compared to other starting left tackles, he wasn’t great, but $100-million-dollar-man Frank Clark didn’t generate a single pressure, and for what Hance was asked to do on so little practice time, he did just fine.

That versatility and ability to perform under difficult (and very, very stressful) circumstances will not go unnoticed. He is likely behind others on the pecking order despite his playoff experience, and it will be quite difficult for him to make the roster with the rest of the room healthy, but he’s made his mark, and will almost certainly be on an NFL team in 2021, even if it isn’t Cleveland.

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