With the second preseason game for the Cleveland Browns in the books let’s look at who’s stock went up and who’s went down this week.
The Cleveland Browns regular season is getting closer as the second preseason game is now in the books.
With more cut-down days coming the 53-man roster is starting to become clearer with each game and camp practice. Let’s look at a couple of players who shined against the Eagles and a couple that was duds.
Browns offensive stud from preseason game 2- Josh Dobbs, quarterback
Browns offensive stud from preseason Week 2- Josh Dobbs, quarterback
With quarterback Deshaun Watson missing the first 11 games of the season the third-string quarterback becomes even more important to start the year. Josh Dobbs has been nothing short of exceptional now for both preseason games. It’s just the preseason and he is playing mostly backups but last week and this he has been fun to watch.
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Going into the preseason I was nervous and uncertain about the depth in the quarterback should Brissett go down during Watson’s suspension. Dobbs has been electric showing that he can make big plays with his athleticism and ability to read the defense. He doesn’t have the most talented arm in the NFL but as far as third-string quarterbacks go he is more than good enough.
Though likely you wouldn’t want him to start a majority of games this year fans should be a little more comfortable with Dobbs than they were a couple of weeks ago. He can consistently throw an accurate ball and take pressure off of the offensive line with his ability to move and extend plays. Dobbs feels like a lock to be Brissett’s backup to start the season for the Browns.
Browns defensive stud from preseason Week 2- Tony Fields II- Linebacker
Tony Fields’ rookie season was a bit of waste due to injuries that kept him from showing fans or the team what he could do. But through two preseason games, especially this week, he has shown a nice skill set for a depth piece in the linebacker room. He was flying all over the field against the Eagles showing great speed and athleticism as well as quick play recognition.
The most impressive thing from his day might be his tackling ability, if you want to play a linebacker in this league you cannot miss many tackles. Fields showed that he can be that guy that comes flying in to make the stop in the run game and not miss the tackle. This is also something that is very important for a player to be able to do on special teams which is likely a place the Browns will ask Fields to contribute.
Tony Fields isn’t going to be asked to be a starter on this team but having a guy who you can count on to make the play in space is something this team must have. The Browns had a lot of question marks with the depth of the position coming into camp and with Dakota Allen standing out last week and Fields this week the depth questions seem to be being answered.
Browns defensive dud from preseason Week 2- Perrion Winfrey, defensive tackle
Some people were shocked when Oklahoma defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey fell to the Browns in the fourth round of this year’s NFL draft. He has made a few plays in camp and the preseason but overall it has been rough for the rookie.
Against the Eagles, he was blown back and pushed around play after play in the run game. Winfrey didn’t make much of an impact in the game and at times it reminded you of the defensive tackles being pushed around last season.
At Oklahoma, it was clear that Winfrey was far better as a pass rusher than he was a run stopper and that is carrying over in the NFL. Early on it is clear that he plays with an inconsistent pad level and lacks the ability to truly anchor the middle of the line when playing the run. Winfrey needs to find a way to play with a much better pad level if he is to fix his run defense issues.
Winfrey still has plenty of time to improve and figure things out but early on it is evident why he fell to the fourth round. More time and snaps will make him better but for now, he isn’t instilling confidence in a weak defensive tackle room.
Browns offensive dud from preseason Week 2- Josh Rosen, quarterback
As exciting and fun as Josh Dobbs was against the Eagles this week, it was the opposite from fourth-string quarterback Josh Rosen. He was inconsistent with his accuracy even when he was able to read and diagnose the defensive scheme in front of him.
He has the arm talent and shows it in flashes but for each good play you see from him there is another bad throw that makes you scratch your head in disbelief.
Most of the plays that Rosen has made so far in the preseason resulted from easy quick throws where the receiver makes a play after the catch. I think the Browns would be comfortable keeping Rosen on the practice squad as an emergency quarterback but it is clear that Dobbs is far and away above him on the depth chart.
Just uninspiring football from Rosen that makes you think that if Deshaun Watson wasn’t suspended he would not be back in any capacity. Rosen will still have a chance to hand around for the team but I don’t think anyone feels good about the team’s chances if Rosen were to be the starter for any period of time — which is a surprise after he came into the league with so much fanfare in the 2018 NFL Draft.