This offseason, the Cleveland Browns have gone out of their way to add more talent to their roster — which is always a good thing. More competition brings out the best in each player but it also means some could wind up losing their starting spots.
Here's a look ahead to Week 1 of the 2023 season as we identify three players who could find themselves in a new role this year.
3. Browns DT Jordan Elliott
This might seem like a foregone conclusion after the addition of Dalvin Tomlinson, but right now, Jordan Elliott is still the second-best defensive tackle on this team. He started all 17 games in 2022 and had 36 tackles with 2.0 sacks but was a liability in run defense.
Tomlinson should help in that regard but the Browns are still looking for more depth. They recently visited with free agent Al Woods and have had their eye on defensive tackles in the draft as well, including Gervon Dexter, Sr. from Florida.
Dexter fits the mold for Cleveland, coming in at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds. He's also expected to be on the clock in Round 3, possibly even Round 4, which means the Browns should be able to bring him in at No. 74 — if they felt so inclined.
If Cleveland doesn't land Dexter, or another defensive tackle they believe can start in 2023, they're likely to re-visit Woods or even another veteran option. Whichever way they elct to go, it's not likely that Elliott is lining up next to Tomlinson this seasn, unless an injury forces the team's hand.
2. Browns LB Anthony Walker, Jr.
Anthony Walker, Jr. grew into a leader on the Cleveland defense last season. Early in the year, everyone was pointing fingers as they had meltdowns against the Carolina Panthers and the New York Jets in Weeks 1 and 2.
Walker, however, was the lone player taking the blame for the issues. The middle linebacker was charged with calling plays and he took that to heart, saying the communication issues were his fault (even though it's hard to agree since it was all secondary lapses).
"I’m the communicator, I’m the guy who is supposed to get everyone lined up, and obviously, I didn’t do my job two weeks in a row. I’ll take that one, and we will be back."Walker on the early season struggles
Even knowing Walker wasn't at fault, it was impressive to see him fall on the sword in order to protect his teammates. Unfortunately, Walker didn't get to lead the troops much longer as he was lost to an injury in Week 3.
With him out, several players tried their hand at the MIKE linebacker spot but none stood out the way Sione Takitaki did. The former third-round pick from BYU was impressive in this role but he too succumbed to an injury, tearing his ACL in a Week 13 win over Houston.
Now heading into 2023, both Walker and Takitaki were re-signed and could end up battling for the role at MIKE. Either one would still have a major role in the defense even if they didn't win this spot but the communicator is an important job — that could be up for grabs.
1. Browns WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
This past season was an impressive one for Donovan Peoples-Jones. The former sixth-round pick out of Michigan developed into a trusted No. 2 wideout across from Amari Cooper and for a while, it appeared he was heading toward a 1,000-yard campaign.
DPJ didn't hit that mark but he shouldn't be ashamed at all about his numbers. In 17 games, he had 61 receptions for 839 yards with three touchdowns. Now in 2023, there's a belief he will take yet another step forward — but that might not be so easy.
Cleveland went out this offseason and added Elijah Moore in a trade with the New York Jets. With his stature (5-foot-10 and 178 pounds) there's a belief he's just going to slide into the slot positon and become the WR3 behind Cooper and DPJ.
However, that might not be the case. Moore is capable of playing in the slot but is not only better on the outside, but he's also taken more snaps there. This means, he could very well be in line to start across from Cooper when the Browns kick things off this year.
Having said that, DPJ will still have a major role — especially considering the fact that he had over 300 snaps in the slot last season. He just might not be exactly where he was on the depth chart one year ago.