Defense Remains Muddy After Initial 53-Man Roster Release

While the Cleveland Browns have a 53-man roster, it may not be set for their opener against the Kansas City Chiefs and the biggest questions are on defense.

The Cleveland Browns have released their initial 53-man roster, and needless to say there are some surprises. While there remains a good deal of uncertainty, the only certainty is that this roster will not look the same as the week comes to an end.

There is no need to break down every single player on the roster, but instead will just hit the ground running on surprises and things that draw intrigue. Overall, the big names stuck as expected, and the bottom of the roster got churned. What stood out?

Offensively, the big news was the release of wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge, a fan favorite. While it was reported that this would happen, it did not make it any easier when the news came down. Expect Hodge to find a new home as he is not likely to clear waivers. Even if he does clear waivers there is not a guarantee he returns.

The only other somewhat shocking development offensively came from the offensive line, a room where the Browns rostered 10 total. This number is up one from last year. Expect a name from that room to land on the Injured Reserve as that number will climb back down to nine. The name to watch there is Michael Dunn, who has missed the last two games with a back injury. Initially, it looks like that injury may be worse than thought. Blake Hance gets a roster spot as a result.

Most of the action is found on the defensive side of the ball, however.

It was not a surprise to see the team come away unimpressed with the depth off the edge defensively. It was, however, a shock to see then cut every ounce of depth outside of Takk McKinley. Cam Malveaux, Porter Gustin, Joe Jackson, and Curtis Weaver were all given the axe over the past two days. This leaves the Browns sitting with just three pass rushers on their roster.

What helps this, however, is having two defensive tackles who can potentially slide out and play big end on run downs in Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell. This looks to be almost certainly an area the Browns will add a body to as the hammer of waiver claims begins to drop.

Joining Jackson and McDowell on the roster at defensive tackle are Andrew Billings, Jordan Elliott, and Tommy Togiai. Another shocking cut to the fanbase was with Sheldon Day. This could very well be a gymnastic move done by the front office as they look to resolve their injuries.

Day, because of his status as a vested player (four or more years in the league), will not have to go through the waiver process. The Browns may have opted to cut him over a younger player so they did not have to expose a young tackle or linebacker to the waiver wire. As the Browns look to add players to Injured Reserve after 4pm, they may have already made an arrangement with Day to add him back to the roster when a player like Jacob Phillips hits IR.

Another area to keep an eye on is the linebacker room. There is no way the Browns keep seven linebackers, and it may be difficult to keep six. For a team that looks to run a boatload of nickel and dime packages, defensive backs are where the depth will be found. While Phillips is going on IR, look for a name like Mack Wilson to still potentially find his way off the roster as waiver claims come in.

Anthony Walker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Sione Takitaki, Tony Fields, and Malcolm Smith were not surprising to see make the final roster. It’s a safe assumption that all of them will remain intact throughout the rest of the week.

Takitaki has the SAM role locked down after a solid job a year ago there, Anthony Walker is your starting MIKE, and then the WILL role will be up in the air based on packages. We have seen Owusu-Koramoah in that role, Wilson in that role, and Smith in that role. As Fields works his way back from his foot injury that has sidelined him all summer, WILL is also where his strong suit is.

The cornerback room is another area where we could see a cut, an IR move, and potentially a waiver claim. While MJ Stewart takes up that last slot in the room, he is not safe to stay on the roster. It is imaginable that the Browns keep six cornerbacks, but a new body could come from another team in the coming days. The rest in Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, Greedy Williams, and AJ Green are likely all safe.

No surprises came out of the safety room either as John Johnson III, Ronnie Harrison, Grant Delpit, and Richard LeCounte win those spots (with Sheldrick Redwine on the move). What will be interesting, however, is to see if Delpit’s nagging injuries have the Browns in the market for another hybrid safety to play both strong safety and potentially linebacker in packages as well.

Overall, there was not much shock to the Browns’ final 53-man roster. Outside of potentially Blake Hance who could be on the move with another roster move, the offense looks ripe and ready to roll. Defensively, however, the roster remains a bit of a jumbled mess. From Sheldon Day returning, to Mack Wilson or M.J. Stewart departing, moves will be made as the Browns look to add depth to their defensive line and secondary.

This is far from a finished product and eyes should still be peeled.

READ MORE: Browns Initial 53-Man Roster