5 Browns fighting for their jobs after free agency
By Greg Newland
2. Siaki Ika, Defensive Tackle
There was a lot of excitement about Siaki Ika last offseason, he was a massive body taken in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft a position that was desperately needed. Some warned us that he was a massive body and nothing more, and that’s starting to come more and more to fruition.
It wasn’t shocking last year when Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst, and Shelby Harris were brought in to fill a huge void, but the fact that all three will be back next year (Hurst and Harris re-signed) shows exactly where Berry stands on him.
Truthfully, we may see him get a few more snaps this year than last year as Ika was inactive almost every single week, but I would not expect to see him on the field much more than five snaps per game.
I wouldn’t typically be too concerned about a move like this, but seeing a third-round pick struggle to get on the field and Berry stockpile at the position is not a great look.
1. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Quarterback
Perhaps no one was on more of a roller coaster last year than Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The fifth-round pick last year was brutally thrown in as the starter after a last-second scratch to Watson where he struggled mightily. That was followed up by a few quality starts that led to an injury that eventually led to Joe Flacco taking over.
Not only is Watson currently on the roster, but we’ve also seen Berry bring in Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley as backups. DTR showed enough to me to keep him on this roster, but there's no way the Browns head into the season with four quarterbacks on the roster.
Watson and Winston aren’t going anywhere with the contracts they signed, and Browns fans have personally seen how effective Huntley can be when he started for the Ravens. Is Berry ready to throw in the towel early on DTR with all the pressure on this season?
I think there is a chance DTR rides the bench on the practice squad for most of this season, but I’m not sure we will ever see him active, let alone take a meaningful snap.
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