The Cleveland Browns have frequently hosted tryouts throughout the season as they follow their own guardrail of churning the bottom of their roster. They have even signed a few players straight from tryouts to their practice squad, including safety Mike Brown who is set to make his third gameday appearance as a practice squad elevation. This week is no different, as the Browns tried out three players, including former starting defensive back of the Washington Commanders, Troy Apke.
Here we take a look at those three players and give their college and NFL background, and their athletic testing numbers. Could the Browns add one of these guys to the practice squad as well with five weeks to go in the 2022 season?
Browns tried out three yesterday. pic.twitter.com/N5kv7Et6dn
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) December 10, 2022
DB Troy Apke
The biggest of the three names who tried out is Apke. A former fourth round pick of the Commanders, Apke started a total of nine games for them at both cornerback and safety. He, however, did not receive a contract extension after his rookie deal in Washington expired.
One reason Apke was drafted so highly, however, was because of his athletic ability. At the combine in 2018, Apke lit up the competition as he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash, leaped to a 41-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot-11 broad jump. His agility numbers were off the charts as well, as he did not test below the 94th percentile in any drill except the bench press.
OT Sage Doxtater
After releasing practice squad offensive tackle Will Holden with an injury settlement, the Browns may be looking to add another. One of two offensive tackles in for tryouts was Sage Doxtater, an undrafted free agent out of New Mexico State. Doxtater was both drafted into the Canadian Football League and signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints.
However, Doxtater was placed on the Injured Reserve by the Saints this summer and was later released. He does not have any testing numbers as he was not healthy enough to participate in New Mexico State’s pro day this past Spring.
OT Eric Smith
An undrafted free agent from the 2017 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia, Eric Smith has had stays in the NFL with all of the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Arizona Cardinals. However, in that span, Smith has only appeared in four games throughout his NFL career.
He, however, does not have an enticing athletic profile. He does, however, have nearly 35-inch arms, which works to his advantage. His 40-yard dash fell in just the 39th percentile historically, and his explosiveness drills were just as poor. If Smith were to land on the practice squad, there is not a good chance of him seeing a gameday elevation.
