Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns have tried hard to get some depth this season. Quality depth was a huge problem last year. Attrition happens with every NFL club every year. The ones who have adequate help to fill in are the ones who don’t miss a beat and continue getting wins.
This year, there are an abundance of positions up for grabs: all three LB spots, starting safety, starting outside cornerback (with the injury to MJ Emerson), long snapper, starting and backup RB, TE2 as well as TE3, starting outside WR, slot receiver, kicker, backup center, and swing tackle.
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The exhibition games have their purpose. They incorporate players that are new to the roster and acclimate them to the Browns’ playbook. But the main purpose is to see which players to cut. Currently, all NFL clubs are able to keep 90 athletes on their training camp rosters. Next Tuesday, the squads are cut down to just 53 players. So, who does the coaching staff keep, and who do they let go?
The preseason games are a good gauge to determine this.
Cleveland has already played two exhibition games, with their final one this Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. There are many players on the bubble, and this last game will determine whether the coaches keep certain guys or allow them to walk.
Being in training camp for over a month, nobody wants to leave. When a player is cut, then open to the waiver wire, then signed to a new club, suddenly they are required to study a brand new playbook and memorize a different set of plays, often with a divergent array of terminology. They have to learn new schemes and get used to dissimilar guys very quickly.
Who wants to start all over when a player can just stay where they are?
Here are three Browns players who will need a fantastic game on Saturday so that the Turk passes their door next Tuesday without a knock on the door stating, “Coach wants to see you. Bring your playbook.”
Holley tore up the Canadian Football League last year and was a dominant force in the middle of the Toronto Argonauts’ defense. He was a main player in their Grey Cup win. He missed the first three games and ended up tied with the league’s most sacks.
His forte is his get-off. Holley came to the Browns hungry to prove he belonged. But so far, although he has been having a very good camp, his game numbers are just not what they should be.
Against the Panthers, he had one tackle. He should have gotten a half sack on QB Andy Dalton after he fell, but wasn’t given the credit. Holley did show good gap penetration and played quite a bit, getting 25 snaps, the third most of any defensive player.
In the Eagles game, Holley had the second most snaps with 25, which was...
