5 potential Browns roster cuts that need to be brought to practice squad

Roster cuts around the league are going to be pouring in now that the NFL preseason is officially over, and the Cleveland Browns will obviously have a lot of interesting names hitting the wire. We already saw them part ways with third-round wide receiver Anthony Schwartz, a move you can follow along with (as well as every Browns move) right here.

Although the primary focus will obviously be the 53-man roster, which players do the Browns need to get back on the practice squad some way, somehow? History will tell us that many of the guys you keep on your practice squad will end up playing throughout the season, so this will undoubtedly be a priority.

As roster moves start coming in through Tuesday's deadline, which players do the Cleveland Browns need to make sure they get back on the practice squad, at the very least?

5 players the Cleveland Browns need to get on the practice squad if cut

1. Lonnie Phelps, defensive end

Between his pass-rush abilities and special teams flashes, Lonnie Phelps is a player who certainly deserves to develop on the practice squad and could be one of the first guys the Browns would call up at some point this season.

Phelps doesn't have ideal size, which is part of the reason he was an undrafted free agent after becoming an All-Big 12 player at Kansas, but he has solid athleticism and he plays with tremendous effort and intensity.

There may have been other teams around the league that loved Phelps enough in the pre-draft process to give him a 53-man roster spot after what he showed with the Browns in a crowded room at DE this preseason. We can only hope at this point that he makes it back to the practice squad if the Browns cut him.

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.

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.

4. Austin Watkins, wide receiver

The Cleveland Browns' big preseason star may have done enough to make his way onto the initial 53-man roster. But if the Browns do decide to cut him, there are a number of receiver-needy teams out there that they would have to worry about plucking him away.

Is it worth the risk just to save a 53-man roster spot, or did the Browns see enough from Watkins to believe in his future with the team? It's tough to say at this point, but if they cut him, they will obviously be trying desperately to get him back on the practice squad. As they should.

5. Ronnie Hickman, safety

The secondary is one of the biggest strengths for the Cleveland Browns this coming year, but is it strong enough to keep Ronnie Hickman off the roster after his tremendous preseason?

With three preseason interceptions, Hickman is going to be a tough one to keep away from other teams. There were a number of people who had draftable grades on Hickman, and after seeing him in the preseason, they might thank the Browns for simply making their waiver claims easier.

With that being said, if the Browns do subject Hickman to waivers, their goal ultimately has to be to get him back on the practice squad. He might even be a protected player early on. Difficult decisions always arise at this time of year and the Browns' roster is, thankfully, good enough to have talks about cutting preseason stars and trying to get them on the practice squad.

It could certainly be much worse.