Browns: 3 defensive players that shined in Week 3

The Cleveland Browns came up short against the Bears in the preseason finale, but there were still some individual performances that deserve some recognition.

With the preseason games in their rearview, the Cleveland Browns now must decide which players have proved enough to make their initial 53-man roster. The Browns truly don’t have that many roster spots up for grabs, especially on the defensive side of the ball. For many players on the proverbial bubble, the final preseason game was the last job interview before the regular season begins.

Did any Browns defender impress enough to earn a roster spot or cement their role on the team? Here are three Browns defensive players that stood out against the Chicago Bears in the final preseason game.

3 Defensive standouts in Browns preseason finale

Defensive standout No. 3: Shaun Jolly

When it comes to fringe roster players, what you want to see in the final preseason game is a sense of urgency. Well, undrafted free agent rookie, Shaun Jolly certainly played with a metric ton of urgency. And frankly, Jolly needed to if he wanted to enter the conversation of remaining in Cleveland after the roster purge that is to come.

Jolly flashed multiple times in the preseason finale. Jolly’s first flash came with a little under six minutes to go in the first half. With the Bears on the Browns 35 yard line, Jolly was able to knife through the line and drop Chicago’s running back Khalil Herbert with a beautiful stop tackle for a one-yard loss. Jolly displayed his ability to come up in run support from the nickel back position, which is something Joe Woods’ defense is predicated upon.

However, Jolly’s biggest play of the night came with just under a minute to play in the first half. The Bears were being aggressive and attempting to push the ball down the field, but defensive coordinator Joe Woods anticipated the shot play and dialed up a blitz. The Browns faked pressure from their right side as a decoy, and instead brought their mike linebacker and their slot corner, Jolly, off the left side.

Once again, Jolly was able to come cleanly through the line and wrap up the Trevor Siemian and separate him from the ball in the process. The forced fumble was scooped up by fellow rookie Perrion Winfrey, and the Browns were able to get off the field and give their offense a short field opportunity.

While his efforts may still see him come up short of securing a roster spot, Jolly’s play definitely put him in the conversation, and at the very least, made him a prime candidate for the practice squad.