Training camp is still scheduled to begin in late July. When the Browns players return to Berea for the annual rite of football passage later this month, some players will be fighting for their right to get one of the (great) new redesigned Browns jerseys with their name on the back.
Regime changes are nothing new for the Browns, and the associated roster turnover with them is a sad reality. There are some current Browns who will not work out in the new schemes with the new coaches, sometimes through little fault of their own.
Here are six Browns who need to show they belong in Cleveland in 2020 by having a strong training camp.
Chris Hubbard
The veteran right tackle has already lost his starting spot to free agent Jack Conklin. Hubbard has already taken a pay cut to stick with the team, but that doesn’t ensure his place on the roster.
Hubbard will need to prove he’s worthy of keeping as the backup tackle. Kendall Lamm is younger, cheaper and more athletic than Hubbard and he’s fighting for that same gig. Hubbard has been the better player and has certainly proven more durable, but that will only carry so much weight if he’s not impressive to the new coaching staff right away.
Dontrell Hilliard
Now in his third year, Hilliard needs to quickly establish that he’s the best man for the No. 3 running back job. Flashes of potential in the first two years, primarily in preseason action, haven’t been convincing enough.
Hilliard can bolster his position by seizing the return specialist job. But the Browns now have the more accomplished Jojo Natson among other options for punt and kick returns. Fumbling twice last season in limited touches does not help his case. The feather in his cap is his ability to operate as a receiver out of the backfield, an important attribute in Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
Rashard Higgins
It’s a good sign for Higgins that the new coaching staff and front office wanted him back in Cleveland. Now he’s got to capitalize on his opportunity at redemption from an inexplicably lost 2019.
Higgins should be the No. 3 receiver behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Should. He should have been that last season too, but injury and coaching ruined that chance. Higgins is well-liked by teammates and has the most natural hands of any of the competitors, but he lacks a true standout trait; he’s not fast, not exceptionally big, not particularly quick or physical. He’ll need to rekindle the chemistry he had with then-rookie QB Baker Mayfield in 2018 to make good on the 1-year contract in Cleveland.
Chad Thomas
Thomas was a pet project of former GM John Dorsey, who drafted the defensive end out of Miami in the third round in 2018. That was higher than projected, and thus far Thomas has done little to disprove his critics.
Now that his benefactor in Dorsey is gone, Thomas must prove himself to a new coaching staff. To his credit, his all-around play did improve when he was forced into more action late in 2019 due to Myles Garrett’s suspension. Thomas will need to build upon the solid finish to hold off challengers for the No. 4 DE/EDGE spot. He should be seen as the favorite entering camp but it’s not a given he’ll keep that spot.
B.J. Goodson
A newcomer to the team? The highest-paid linebacker on the roster? Surely you must be joking!
It might seem far-fetched, but Goodson’s place on the roster is not a lock. Goodson is on just a 1-year deal that won’t cost much to dump if the cap-rich Browns don’t like what they see. His career arc with the Giants and Packers doesn’t instill a great amount of confidence he’ll be an immediate fit or hit with new defensive coordinator Joe Woods.
Having said all that, Goodson could very well quickly establish himself as the best LB on the team and the leader of a very young corps. Here’s hoping that happens…
Kevin Johnson
Johnson is another newcomer who shouldn’t feel entitled to his roster spot. The Browns can easily absorb eating his $1 million signing bonus that they’ve already paid him. That’s the only part of his contract that is guaranteed.
Johnson’s path is simple. The slot corner who played in Buffalo last year is instantly the No. 3 CB with the Browns and a valuable new addition. The Johnson from his injury-plagued Texans days will not make this team. Take it from someone who covered Johnson in Houston — the Texans version from 2016-2018 isn’t good enough to be CB5 on the Browns right now.
