Cleveland Browns: 4 young players looking for starting spots
By Greg Newland
With Andrew Berry loading up the Cleveland Browns roster with talent, these four young players will be fighting for some early playing time.
The Cleveland Browns head into the 2022 season with one of the best rosters in football. While that has many fans on a high note, let’s not be too quick to forget how 2021 ended with a similarly talented roster.
The missing piece? Quarterback.
Baker Mayfield was a solid starting NFL quarterback, but not even he could argue that he’s better than Deshaun Watson. The Browns now have arguably a top-five quarterback in the league to go with a loaded roster that should carry them deep into the 2022 playoffs.
One of their biggest issues now is just how loaded the AFC will be for the next decade. With Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, and Watson all in the AFC, there are going to be some seriously interesting playoff games as early as the wildcard round.
Nothing comes easy in the NFL, but the Browns should be in a great position to compete for a Super Bowl in the next few years. With plenty of experience on the roster, I’m hopeful the locker room will also be in better shape than it has been in the past.
With all good teams you need veterans, but you also need your young draft picks to shine when they get a chance. No team that makes a deep playoff run is full of just veterans. Look for these four young guys to really make a difference in 2022.
Cleveland Browns Young Standout No. 4 – Cade York
Kevin Stefanski made it clear from the beginning, that the kicking job is for Cade York to lose, and the team doesn’t plan to bring in any competition for him.
Truthfully, I love this strategy. Sometimes it’s good to bring in competition to challenge a guy, but with York being so young, letting him develop without any pressure is likely the best strategy.
Chase McLaughlin was fantastic to start the 2021 season for the Browns, but quickly became a hot mess missing far too many extra points. I love this kid from LSU, and I think he will be an extremely stable piece for years to come.