Don't have a backup G on the roster...not just poor depth at G...NO depth at G...and no...I do not think that Harris or Wypler can effectively play G. I know Dunn can be called up...but that can only be done (3) times and he could be poached with ease. We are a twisted ankle away from having Harris protect our 1/4 billion $ man;
Didn't really see much (yet) from DW leading to the expectation that he will be back to his elite self;
Have a HC who is simply not HC material;
Won't be 'ready' for the start of the season.
I actually kind of want to see Hudson inside.
this would be a welcomed experiment
I think so too...I just wish he would have played some G in pre-season if that is part of the 'plan'. Maybe he is the poor man's Hubbard at the moment? A T who can play G?
They can only call up Dunn (3) times before they have to move him to the 53 or release him and he could be poached at anytime. It feels like an unnecessary gamble with the investment at QB. Wypler is the heir-apparent at C and Harris isn't a G. Who will be the interior line guys on punts and field goals? Wypler? Harris? Hudson?
I expect that Dunn will be a PS player called up to the 53 on gameday.
I'd agree
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
There are no perfect rosters. This one looks pretty good. It's "unfortunate" that we can't have pro bowlers backing up our pro bowlers. One of the benefits of Callahan is that he can make no name backups passable linemen. He did it with Dunn, I expect he'll be able to make it work again between Hudson, Harris, and Wypler if an injury occurs.
You mess with the "Bull," you get the horns. Fiercely Independent.
There are no perfect rosters. This one looks pretty good. It's "unfortunate" that we can't have pro bowlers backing up our pro bowlers. One of the benefits of Callahan is that he can make no name backups passable linemen. He did it with Dunn, I expect he'll be able to make it work again between Hudson, Harris, and Wypler if an injury occurs.
This no-depth-at-G spot we are in, we did to ourselves. Why is Harris still on the 53 if other than to (maybe) get a draft pick? Get Harris off the 53...get Dunn on the 53...get a guy like Martin to the PS. We could still do that today. New offensive scheme with a QB who likes to run...I dunno man...blocking for that can take time to jell...I'd not be rolling the dice on interior depth with guys who haven't yet demonstrated that they can play there. Just me.
We have 4 OT's and 3C on the roster. One or two of them can slide to guard. I promise that if Bitonio rolls an ankle and has to come out, somebody is going to move in to the position.
Also, we don't know that Dunn isn't going to show up on the roster.
I'd give this maybe a 3 out of 10 on the worry scale.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
We have 4 OT's and 3C on the roster. One or two of them can slide to guard. I promise that if Bitonio rolls an ankle and has to come out, somebody is going to move in to the position.
Also, we don't know that Dunn isn't going to show up on the roster.
I'd give this maybe a 3 out of 10 on the worry scale.
I hope you are correct. I think that score goes waaaaay up if Wypler and Harris flank Hughlett on ST snaps...and more-than-doubles if someone snatches Dunn from the PS.
I hope so too. The reality is with a salary cap and wages for the top guys going up, teams have to make decisions elsewhere.
Basically it boils down to do you want a really good guard with a marginal back-up or a couple of mediocre guys there? I'd rather have Bitonio with say Harris or whoever as the back-up over Dunn or Harris as the starter and the other as back-up.
Now, maybe the point is I would rather have Dunn on the squad over Harris, but we don't make that call. If that is the beef you have then I agree.
I still think Berry is clinging to the hope of trading Harris for something. Harris could be a fairly decent center in the league, but Pocic wiped that out.
A bad thought, maybe Berry is trying to move Pocic? We could get more for him, and we drafted Wypler. Maybe that is the plan? Go with harris for a year and replace him with Wypler once he gets some seasoning. Who knows?
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
I'm no expert, so I could be wrong. From what I remember, Harris is not effective as a guard, too small. When, in training camp, Wypler was used at G he held his own. It seems to me they may be thinking of Wypler as the B/U guard if needed.
1. #GMstrong 2. "I'm just trying to be the best Nick I can be." ~ Nick Chubb 3. Forgive me Elf, I didn’t have faith. ~ Tulsa 4. ClemenZa #1
I'm no expert, so I could be wrong. From what I remember, Harris is not effective as a guard, too small. When, in training camp, Wypler was used at G he held his own. It seems to me they may be thinking of Wypler as the B/U guard if needed.
None of us are experts or we wouldn't be "dorking " around on a message board. Yet we sometimes think we are.
I agree. Sometimes you just have to pick. Berry has his reasons for his picks even if we disagree. We might disagree, but what are you going to do? If Bitonio and Teller don't get hurt for any length of time, it won't matter, right?
Sometimes the decisions come down to that question. As with any team, sometimes you just have to hope it works out. You just can't cover every possibility. That is the randomness of any season. A bit of luck is always involved.
You are never going to have adequate back-up to a pro bowl type player. Come on, lets be real here. Somewhere on the roster, a few corners have to be cut short. Just the nature of the beast.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
OLine depth is quickly becoming a concern..we can add OT to the list. Tackles are Tackles...right?
The Browns relied on their running game for a majority of their offense vs the Bengals...
Browns OLine depth could be a huge factor if the Browns continue to have OLine
concerns. Maintaining good OLine depth should be a priority for the Browns running game.
With both our OTs now dealing with injuries and the Browns OL, especially OT depth now in doubt, the Browns are "scrambling" attempting to find their OL depth by scrapping the bottom of the barrel, poaching OT help where ever they find it.
‘High Ceiling’ 49ers 25-Year-Old Poached to Cleveland Browns Roster
If there is an area in which San Francisco probably could not lose much depth, it is along the offensive line. But on Thursday, the Browns signed tackle Leroy Watson from the 49ers roster, adding him to the 53-man roster after Watson spent the last two NFL seasons on the practice squad.
Watson was originally signed by the Falcons after going undrafted out of Texas-San Antonio in 2022, and when he was waived by Atlanta that summer, he landed with the 49ers. He has not gotten a chance to play for the 49ers in his two seasons with the team, so his time with the Browns will mark his first opportunity to get game action.
It could be worth paying attention to for 49ers fans, because Watson was part of an interesting experiment with San Francisco.
He was a tight end in college—his teammate at UTSA was Spencer Burford—but the Niners liked his size (6-foot-5), athleticism and blocking ability enough to see him as a future offensive tackle.
For the last two years, Watson has been on the roster of the 49ers practice squad, working on that transition. In truth, it was not that difficult of a transition, as Watson had been an offensive lineman before he started playing tight end.
If it’s successful, it will be bittersweet. On one hand, the 49ers would be proven right, that Watson did have an NFL future as a lineman, not a tight end. On the other hand, they’ll have to watch someone else benefit from the fruits of their work.
Conversion on Its Way Before Watson Left 49ers for Browns
In his short time on the 49ers roster before news hit of his signing by the Browns, Leroy Watson did make an impression, at least with one guy whose opinion should matter: Trent Williams, the 49ers’ Pro Bowl tackle. Williams said, back in July, that he had been mentoring Watson and appreciated how the young guys had been using his time.
“He comes to me for a lot,” Williams said of Watson, via The Athletic. “He’s definitely one of those little brothers. We’ve kind of got the same physical makeup — he’s an athletic guy. His ceiling’s extremely high. He’s still new to the position, but he’s an intelligent player. Like I said, he has all the attributes. He’s used all this time to his advantage.”
Still, on an offensive line that has been without Williams for the last two weeks, if Watson had made that much progress, he would not still have been on the practice squad. The Browns will get the chance to test that progress.
Leroy Watson: ‘Definition of a True TE’ Ironically, the very thing that could now keep Watson in the NFL is the thing that nearly kept him out of it. In college, he was a much better blocking tight end than a pass-catching tight end, and had only 25 receptions in three seasons. But blocking-based tight ends from small schools are not going to garner much NFL interest. And Watson didn’t.
Before the 2022 draft, this is what Watson said of his ability as a prospect: “What sets me apart from every other tight end is I believe the definition of a true tight end. I believe I’m one of if not the best blocking tight ends in the country, and I’m a pass threat. And no tight end is as physical as I am. It comes from two or three years of playing offense line it was my first position before I was moved to tight end.”
It’s back to the line now, and with Jedrick Wills (foot) and Dawand Jones (shoulder) dealing with injuries for the Browns, maybe we’ll finally see Leroy Watson on the field. Just not in the uniform we’d hoped.
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Some question why I'm not all in on Andrew Berry...I look at his ability judge talent, for example, QB depth and now OL depth. Two of the most important positions on the offensive side of the ball.
Berry is still on OJT, learning to judge football talent over time. IMO, one of the benefits of hiring DC Schwartz was giving Berry another source to lean on to help the GM judge defensive talent. The Browns did not get into this situation over the last season, but from the time he made his very first draft pick as the Browns new GM in 2020.
Berry needs help when it comes to decision making as it relates to judging offensive talent. Hopefully Berry now understands the value of retaining an experienced backup QB, such as Brissett. Berry had him but did not want to pay enough to keep him or get Brissett back. Paying for backup depth does have it's advantages, especially if your starting QB gets hurt..a realistic approach when it comes to building a roster.
Many seemed to assume that Berry had all the knowledge he needed to make sound decisions when it came to building the Browns roster, but the truth is, Berry was and still is learning by making his own mistakes.
No doubt there are some things that Berry is very good at when it comes to his GM duties. But recognizing your weaknesses and doing something to improve in those areas should be a high priority for the franchise and Berry, imo.
Everyone, including Berry deserve to be questioned and criticized based upon their mistakes. They also deserve to be given credit for the things they do right unless someone has an axe to grind.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.