5 potential NFL roster cuts the Cleveland Browns should monitor
By Randy Gurzi
Browns target No. 4: Naquan Jones, DT, Tennessee Titans
Last year, it was easy to see Cleveland's biggest weakness. They had no run-stuffers on the interior of their defensive line which to them surrendering 2,295 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. That left them as No. 25 in the league against the run and 29th in rushing touchdowns surrendered.
Those numbers are the main reason we see Jim Schwartz taking over as the defensive coordinator. A former Super Bowl winner with the Philadelphia Eagles, he's always done a great job at maximizing the talent on his roster.
Still, there's only so much you can do when the talent is subpar, and that was the case in 2022 — at least against the run. That's why Cleveland signed Dalvin Tomlinson to a massive free agency contract and then used their second pick in Round 3 on Siaki Ika from Baylor.
They didn't stop there as they also signed Trysten Hill and Maurice Hurst in free agency. Each has plenty of talent but there are questions. For Hill, it's his effort and maturity — which is why the Dallas Cowboys gave up on the former second-round pick. Hurst, on the other hand, has no effort concerns but health has been a problem.
If either player fails to make a strong impression, it would make sense for Cleveland to look for more depth after cuts are made and one name to watch is Naquan Jones from the Tennessee Titans.
Jones was undrafted in 2021 and has 45 tackles and 3.5 sacks over the past two seasons. In 2023, he's listed behind Teair Tart on the Tennessee depth chart and they also have Tyler Shelvin — a former fourth-round pick who is built like a prototypical nose tackle at 6-foot-3 and 346-pounds. Shelvin was signed this offseason and could wind up being seen as a better reserve for their defense.
Jim Schwartz knows Jones well from their time in Tennessee and could be interested in a reunion. Plus Browns fans would probably love him just because he once knocked Ben Roethlisberger into a different time zone.