Dawgs By Nature
3 Players who could end up being more impactful than currently expected this season
The Cleveland Browns signed 11 free agents so far this offseason to go along with their 7-man 2025 NFL Draft class, and a few of the guys who aren’t as popular could end up being more important to the team this season than everyone expects.
It’s no secret that Cleveland’s been plagued with injuries over the past few seasons at almost every position, so it could be logical to think that some of the guys signed as “depth” this year could be seen as potential starters at some point in 2025.
Whether it’s due to injuries or lack of production by guys in front of them, these three players could end up being key contributors throughout the upcoming season.
Ever since the great Josh Cribbs graced Northeast Ohio with his elite kick-returning skills, the Browns have been pretty bad in this area.
Whoever Cleveland has brought in has dealt with nagging injuries that limited their effectiveness, or just haven’t produced like they should have (JoJo Natson, Jakeem Grant, etc.).
Carter has had a decent track record as a legitimate kick return threat and depth-level slot receiver at the NFL level. There’s a decent chance that he’ll not only be one of the better returners that the Browns have had in a while, but he could also be a dark horse player on offense this season. He was the Chargers’ top slot receiver in 2022 and was a consistent source of big plays for their offense throughout the year.
Cleveland has been absolutely ravaged at offensive tackle for the past three to four seasons, and they haven’t been able to stop the bleeding most of the time. 2025 could be different with the addition of Lucas, who’s started 38 games over the past five seasons in Washington.
Dawand Jones, who appears to be the starting left tackle heading into 2025, is unproven as of right now due to his injury and weight-control issues. He’s also making a switch to the left side this season, which could end up being a bad move if he can’t adjust fairly quickly.
If Jones isn’t effective throughout the first few games of the season or if Jack Conklin (god forbid) gets injured again, Jones might have to switch back to the right side, and Lucas would step in at left tackle.
Whatever the case, Lucas has to be prepared to play a huge role in 2025 if something happens to Jones or Conklin.
Tryon-Shoyinka is one of the few “pure” pass rushers on the roster when it comes to the type of players that the Browns have in the defensive end room.
Isaiah McGuire certainly has the potential to be, but he hasn’t refined his skillset or pass rush plan yet, and Alex Wright is more of a bigger-bodied strong side edge who can rotate on the interior as...
