2. Jaelon Darden, wide receiver
The Cleveland Browns might need to get creative at the wide receiver position as they've taken this particular group from a position of relative weakness to a position of strength heading into year two of the Deshaun Watson era.
Jaelon Darden is a speedy receiver with return abilities whose development potential is intriguing, but the Browns have a few guys on this roster who could be vying for those additional spots. Will the team keep or trade Donovan Peoples-Jones? Will they keep preseason rookie star Austin Watkins? Is David Bell still beloved enough to make it over a player like Darden?
The answer to all of those questions is probably, but Darden feels like the type of player -- at this point -- who could sneak through waivers. It's not like he had a dominant preseason, and he'd be the ideal person for the Browns to be able to call up on an as-needed basis at WR.
3. Cade York, kicker
There seem to be quite a few teams out there right now with unsettled kicker positions. We're seeing more and more teams change kickers than any preseason I can recall in recent years, so the Browns have to be smart here. They need to make sure they have a viable alternative they really like if they are going to try to sneak Cade York -- a former draft pick -- onto the practice squad.
Or they're just going to have to die on this hill.
ICYMI: #Browns Kevin Stefanski declines to commit to Cade York as his kicker for the opener vs. #Bengals https://t.co/dHbuGqwNuS
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 28, 2023
Luckily, there seems to be a decent supply for the demand of kickers out there, so Cleveland should be able to find someone. Even if they replace York as their regular season kicker, bringing him back to the practice squad -- having spent a fourth-round pick on him last year -- seems like a wise decision.