Remember when David Bell was hyped as an instant starter in Kevin Stefanski's new, three-receiver alignment? He needs to stack some positive days for that to come to fruition. (Cleveland Browns)
For these five Browns, preseason Game 2 against the Eagles is very meaningful
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
We pause in the preparation of Jacoby Brissett as Browns starting quarterback for this meaningless exhibition game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s meaningless, perhaps, for the mainstream Browns and Eagles starters who won’t play. Brissett has the night off. His preparation ratchets up on Tuesday, when coach Kevin Stefanski shifts his practice regimen from training camp mode to regular season mode.
But this second Browns preseason game is meaningful for a lot of players angling for spots behind the starters. Several others have spots locked up on the roster but need to perform in game situations to build confidence in themselves and in the coaches.
Here are five players to watch in Browns preseason Game 2.
Wide receiver Anthony Schwartz
His two drops in Game 1 were a setback, but he seemed to rally in the practice week. Everybody is pulling for the second-year speedster because he earnestly is trying to be the player the Browns envisioned when over-drafted in the third round in 2021. “I think the big thing for any of us when we drop a pass, make a bad call or whatever it is, you have to move on,” Stefanski said. “You can’t dwell on those type of things. I think he has done a nice job of moving on because that is part of being a receiver is moving past those type of plays.” Schwartz had a positive first practice against the Eagles, and then sat out the second day for unknown reasons. He needs to catch every catchable ball thrown his way.
Wide receiver David Bell
Missing the first nine days of his first training camp with a foot injury staggered Bell. The transition to NFL slot receiver for the third-round rookie has not been easy. He needs to stack good practices and good games. He had a rough practice against the Eagles on Thursday and rebounded with a touchdown in a red zone drill on Friday. “Young player. Coming along,” said Stefanski, who was Bell’s champion on draft day. “He was out there for a little bit with that injury. He had a false start and dropped a ball, but he also made a couple of plays. He is just a young player and needs more reps.”
Quarterback Josh Dobbs
Dobbs’ surprisingly impressive performance in Game 1 (10 of 13, 108 yards, 1 TD, 126.4 rating) has been overshadowed by the Deshaun Watson saga and Brissett’s anointment as the replacement starter. The fact is, he is now a very important player ascending to the role of backup quarterback – one play away from being the starter. Dobbs received surprisingly few reps in the joint practices against the Eagles as Stefanski scripted those two days as Watson’s last hurrah – until he returns from suspension. We don’t know if Dobbs is just holding the place of backup until GM Andrew Berry adds another quarterback or if the Browns are serious about him as QB2 for 11 games. He will get the starting nod Sunday against the Eagles and ample play time in the preseason finale against Chicago to prove himself as a serious player in this Browns season.
Safety D’Anthony Bell
This undrafted free agent from West Florida, frankly, has had a better rookie camp than the more-heralded other Bell, namely David. His forced fumble of Jacksonville tight end Luke Farrell after a catch, and several other plays in practice, put him in the lead in coordinator Joe Woods’ Alpha Dawg competition among defensive players. Bell is on pace to oust 2021 draft pick Richard LeCounte for the fourth safety spot. Another productive game against the Eagles could secure him a roster spot.
Linebacker Dakota Allen
A seventh-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, Allen’s NFL journey includes stints with the Raiders and Jaguars before the Browns signed him in June. Because the fifth linebacker spot is not a high-profile position battle, Allen has flown under radar in training camp. And then he shone in Jacksonville with eight tackles and one tackle-for-loss. That he had the most snaps of any linebacker and second-most on special teams indicates he has pulled ahead of 2021 draft pick Tony Fields and Willie Harvey for a roster spot.
