Like other Browns' prospects on this list, A.J. Green's size is one of the attractive qualities at his position. (Cleveland Browns)
Five unheralded Browns who can benefit from the preseason games
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Sunday’s Brown and Orange Practice in front of an estimated 27,000 jacked-up, football-starved fans in FirstEnergy Stadium was an event, the height of Browns training camp prior to the playing of preseason games. Intensity on the field was much higher than any of the previous nine practices at Cross Country Mortgage Campus.
“It is amazing when you are in the stadium or the lights are on for a night practice and you have fans. All of a sudden, guys are running faster and they are running longer and the intensity picks up,” acknowledged coach Kevin Stefanski.
Now what?
“We are definitely … in the dog days of training camp,” Stefanski said.
The Browns open their preseason schedule at Jacksonville on Saturday against the Jaguars of new coach Urban Meyer and No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. Stefanski is not concerned about winning preseason games and will spend only one practice on Thursday preparing for the Jaguars. At least practicing off “cards” – expected basic Jaguars plays -- breaks the routine.
Until then are two days of abject drudgery. Two more days of the same, monotonous, repetitive drills against the same guys wearing the same uniforms flashing the same moves and doing pretty much the same things they’ve done since the first day of practice on July 28.
The Jacksonville game will be the first preseason game as an NFL head coach for Stefanski. Since last year’s preseason was wiped out by the pandemic, we don’t have a performance chart on how he’ll allocate play time to starting players, if at all. He has declined to tip his hand, claiming play time plans are under discussion with his staff.
In any case, there are some unheralded players on the roster who stand to benefit – or suffer -- from extended play time in preseason.
This is a short list of players who should have every chance to improve their status by taking advantage of every snap in the three preseason games.
Offensive tackle Greg Senat
A power forward for four seasons at Wagner College, he doubled his last two years on the football team as a tight end-turned-tackle.
The 6-6, 305-pounder had the sixth-biggest wingspan among tackles at the 2018 Combine. He showed enough potential to be taken in the sixth round by the Ravens in the same draft they found future starters Orlando Brown Jr. and Bradley Bozeman.
Senat was eventually waived by the Ravens, and then by the Chiefs, before joining the Browns’ practice squad last September. The Cowboys poached him when their line was devastated by injuries and kept him on their active roster for 10 games. When Senat’s contract expired, the Browns pounced on re-signing him.
Senat has been the No. 2 right tackle whenever Chris Hubbard has been given a day off. If Senat impresses, he could join 2021 third-round pick James Hudson as developmental tackles and put Hubbard’s roster spot in jeopardy.
“Greg is doing a nice job,” Stefanski said. “He has great length that really shows up in the one-on-one drills and in practice. He is somebody who really is taking to what [offensive line] coach [Bill] Callahan and [assistant offensive line] coach [Scott] Peters are bringing him from a technical standpoint. I have been pleased with how he is coming along.”
Defensive end Curtis Weaver
The Mountain West Conference all-time sack leader with 34 in three seasons at Boise State, Weaver was a fifth-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2020 and was waived-injured after suffering a severe toe injury in training camp.
Intrigued by his potential, the Browns claimed him and stashed him on injured reserve.
Weaver put his time in the Browns’ weight room to good use and reshaped his somewhat flabby frame. His quickness and hand use were considered his best attributes.
It might be a stretch to say Weaver alone was the reason the Browns didn’t take a developmental edge rusher in the 2021 draft, but he has a chance to be in future plans if he flashes something in the preseason games.
“Curtis is working hard,” Stefanski said. “Had some really good one-on-one reps and then a few that he is … going to work through. With [defensive line] Coach [Chris] Kiffin and [assistant defensive line] Coach [Jeremy] Garrett, there is no shortage of time that those guys are spending in the pass rush game. I would anticipate he keeps getting better.”
Defensive tackle Malik McDowell
A highly-regarded second-round draft pick of the Seahawks in 2017, McDowell has yet to play in even an NFL preseason game.
Injuries sustained in an ATV accident prior to his first training camp followed by multiple crimes led to his release by the Seahawks. He served six months of an 11-month prison sentence and in May, 2020, was cleared to resume pursuit of his football career.
The Browns signed him a year later after he worked out and displayed his old playing weight of 290 pounds on his 6-6 frame. No. 58 is an intimidating figure, to be sure.
“He has size and athleticism and he’s hungry,” Kiffin said. “This is a shot for him. What he does with it depends on him and his commitment day to day. Right now we’re very pleased with him. You look out there and he’s the biggest guy on the field. So, we’re just getting back to the basics, learning how to play football again, getting him back into football shape.”
McDowell suffered an oblique injury in Sunday’s practice. Any lost time worsens his longshot chances.
Defensive tackle Marvin Wilson
Once touted as a second-day pick, he went undrafted out of Florida State for multiple reasons – a poor final season, a public spat with his coach, injuries, a poor pro day and questionable desire.
Nevertheless, the Browns outbid other teams in the undrafted free agent scramble with a reported guarantee of $192,000 in signing bonus and salary.
Wilson, 6-4 and 303 pounds, is competing with McDowell and three others, including third-round pick Tommy Togiai, for perhaps one available tackle spot. He has to show something to at least receive an invitation to the practice squad.
“He’s a talented guy … we’re excited about him,” said Kiffin, who recruited the five-star recruit and No. 1 high school player in Texas in 2016 for Ole Miss.
Cornerback A.J. Green
He was Wilson in 2020 – given a $145,000 guarantee in bonus and salary by the Browns to sign as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State.
Green spent most of his rookie year on the practice squad and was active for two games. His 6-1 ½, 202-frame is alluring for a cornerback.
“A big athletic corner,” Stefanski said. “We want to see how he continues to grow over the next few weeks here, but he is doing a nice job.”
