The Cleveland Browns added plenty of young talent to their roster this offseason. That's never bad news, and while not many teams full of first- and second-year players can aspire to win a Super Bowl right away, this team is trending in the right direction.
Of course, that also leaves new head coach Todd Monken with one big question: Should he focus on player development, or should he roll with his more experienced players to try and compete at the highest possible level this season?
At some position groups, the answer to that question is obvious. At others, not so much. Considering that, let's take a look at the three most crucial roster battles the new-look Browns still must figure out before the start of training camp.
Young talent is forcing Cleveland's veterans to fight for their roster spots
Quarterback
Let's get the obvious and more pressing need out of the way first. The Browns' quarterback competition has been the biggest talking point around the team again this year, and rightfully so. Monken said he'd love to have this figured out before training camp, so he's running out of time.
It seemed that Deshaun Watson was the clear front-runner at first, but that may no longer be the case. Watson has reportedly been way more erratic in practice than what has been shared on social media, and Shedeur Sanders has made big strides since his rookie season.
The Browns should likely roll with Sanders here. There's no real upside in playing Watson, and Sanders may turn out to be better than anticipated. If not, the Browns will be in a position to get a top-five pick, so it's a win-win situation.
Dillon Gabriel looks like a long shot to make the roster, so Taylen Green could be Cleveland's third-string/emergency QB.
Center
Luke Wypler is working his way back from injury, and the Browns didn't bring back Ethan Pocic. That leaves Elgton Jenkins as the leading candidate to start at center.
Jenkins was a Pro Bowl left guard for the Green Bay Packers, but Monken told reporters last week that Jenkins will likely end up at either center or right guard to start the season. The Browns took Alabama center Parker Brailsford in the NFL Draft, and he could be a perfect fit for Monken's wide-zone rushing schemes.
Brailsford is a bit of a tweener, though, so he might need to bulk up before earning the starting spot. In an ideal scenario, he will eventually anchor the middle of the offensive line. Otherwise, the Browns may have to start Jenkins at center and have Zion Johnson at left guard and either Teven Jenkins or rookie Austin Barber on the right side.
Wide Receiver
The Browns may have turned their biggest weakness into a strength almost overnight. They will likely only carry six wide receivers on the 53-man roster, and with three up-and-coming players, including two rookies, things could get interesting.
KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston are locks to make the roster and potentially even start. The team is also expected to heavily feature veteran Jerry Jeudy and second-year receiver Isaiah Bond, who reportedly turned heads at OTAs.
That leaves two roster spots for Cedric Tillman, Gage Larvadain, Luke Floriea, Aaron Anderson, Tylan Wallace, Kole Wilson, and Malachi Corley. Wallace, Larvadain, and Floriea bring strong value on special teams, so this will probably be the toughest decision Monken will have to make this offseason.
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