The Cleveland Browns are at the beginning stages of their 2023 training camp and are preparing for their first preseason game which will be on Aug. 3 against the New York Jets. Their appearance in the Hall of Fame Game gives them an extra week to try and round out the bottom of their roster.
That could wind up helping a few players make the final cuts and in the end, there could be a few potential surprise moves. With that being said, here are three players who could find themselves looking for a new home come Week 1 of the regular season.
4. Demetric Felton, Running Back
Kevin Stefanski wisely made it clear the Browns will focus on the pass more than the run this season. Not only is that the best way to win in the NFL, but it's also better for Nick Chubb in the long run.
As great as he is, no one can take the beating he has over the past few years for very long. By lowering the touches he has — especially early in the season — Chubb will be fresh when the weather turns colder and the games mean the most.
With this new approach, the Browns also don't need to over-invest in the position as they have the past four years. That's why Kareem Hunt is gone and Jerome Ford is now RB2.
While all that's figured out, the RB3 position is still up in the air. Right now, it feels like Demetric Felton has the edge in this battle but he's done very little in his career to guarantee anything. That means he could be in danger if John Kelly, Nate McCray, or undrafted rookie Hassan Hall show out in camp and the preseason.
There's also a chance another team releases a veteran running back the coaching staff likes. In that scenario, they could decide to move on from Felton, who has spent more time at wideout than running back so far in his career.
3. Nick Harris, Center
When the 2022 season began, Nick Harris was slated to be the starting center. Cleveland had just moved on from J.C. Tretter, who was one of the top players in the league at the position. He was also highly compensated, which is why the Browns were looking to go with the third-year player from Washington.
Heading into the preseason, the coaching staff was happy with what they saw out of Harris. But sadly, he never got to prove he could hold down the job. On just the second play of their opening drive of the preseason, Harris suffered a torn ACL and was lost for the year.
Ethan Pocic then stepped in to replace Harris and he was phenomenal. Pocic wound up earning the third-highest grade at the position from Pro Football Focus and was re-signed this offseason to a three-year extension.
Even with Pocic returning, Harris seemed to have a role this season as the backup center. But that may have changed since Luke Wypler fell to them late in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Wypler, a product of Ohio State, comes in as a promising prospect and could be the No. 2 center when the season starts. If that's the case, Harris might not make the team since he doesn't have the same versatility as other reserves such as Michael Dunn who can play guard and center, or Drew Forbes who can play guard and tackle.
2. Jacob Phillips, Linebacker
A former third-round pick out of LSU, Jacob Phillips has yet to make his mark with the Browns. Injuries have played a large part since he missed a total of 30 games in his first three seasons in the league but the problems are deeper than that.
Phillips has not only struggled to stay on the field but he hasn't been able to take advantage when opportunities arise. Last year, for example, he was pressed into a starting role when Anthony Walker, Jr. suffered a torn quad.
In the absence of their team leader, Phillips struggled and earned just a 36.7 according to Pro Football Focus.
Now heading into 2023, Phillips is on the roster bubble. On one hand, he was fortunate that the Browns didn't go after any sure-fire starters in free agency. On the other, they really didn't need to in order to put his job in jeopardy.
Instead, that's happened simply by the addition of special teams ace Matthew Adams and rookie undrafted free agent Mohamoud Diabate. Adams feels like a lock to make the team due to his ties to special teams coordinator Bubbe Ventrone and Diabate has a more diverse skillset than Phillips — without three years worth of injury concerns.
Phillips still has enough talent to make it as a professional linebacker but it might not happen in Cleveland.
1. A.J. Green, Cornerback
Even with Greedy Williams leaving in free agency this offseason, the Browns are still rather deep at cornerback. They feel great about their top three players with Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome coming back as established veterans and Martin Emerson riding high following an excellent rookie campaign.
Their depth extends beyond them with A.J. Green, who re-signed on a one-year deal in the offseason, and rookie Cameron Mitchell.
While these names are often thrown around when discussing the secondary, one player seems to be overlooked constantly — Mike Ford. Added as a free agent this offseason, Ford comes over as a special teams ace and the Browns are likely to keep him on the 53-man roster.
Cleveland invested heavily in special teams this offseason when they hired Bubba Ventrone who rose to prominence with the Indianapolis Colts. In addition to signing one of the most sought-after coaches, they gave Ventrone a couple of players who can do real damage on the coverage team — Ford and the previously mentioned linebacker Matthew Adams.
This could lead to Green being the odd-man out.
A former undrafted free agent, Green has typically served as the fourth corner on the roster and he's done well when called upon. The problem is, he's nowhere near as impressive on special teams as Ford and he doesn't have the draft status Cameron Mitchell does.
Should Green find himself being waived, he's likely to land somewhere in a hurry. He's a talented defensive back that may fall victim to a numbers game.