Browns 53-man roster prediction after Preseason Week 1

Safety (5):

John Johnson III
Grant Delpit
Ronnie Harrison
Richard LeCounte
D’Anthony Bell

Cleveland added John Johnson III in free agency last season and he started the season off slow. He wound up coming around and by the end of the season, he was one of the better defenders on the field for the Browns. He was also asked to play in deep coverage more than you would like to see since he’s better playing closer to the line.

Grant Delpit can handle this role better and now that he has a full year under his belt after missing his rookie season due to an Achilles injury, he should be able to line up at free safety. That would help everyone in the secondary improve this year — and that’s saying something considering it was already a strength of the team.

Behind them is Ronnie Harrison, who should again see the field a lot in his hybrid linebacker/safety role. Harrison had some issues last year when it came to penalties, which made it a bit surprising to see him come back on a one-year deal. Still, this staff knows he can play at a high level when he’s focused, which is what they’re banking on.

The final two spots belong to Richard LeCounte and D’Anthony Bell. LeCounte is entering his second season and has a lot to like but suffered an injury late in his collegiate career in an automobile accident that affected his draft status.

Bell stood out in their win over the Jags as he punched the ball out to force a turnover late in the game.

The final safety spot is up for grabs and Javonte Moffat was recently added to the roster. He has experience in this defense but if Bell continues to play as he did in his debut, he could end up knocking him out of his spot.