The Browns’ joint practice with the Bills on Thursday, August 20, could end up being one of the most revealing stretches of their preseason. Cleveland is set to host Buffalo at its training facility in Berea, Ohio, before the teams meet again in the preseason game on August 22 at Huntington Bank Field, and the work against projected starters should give both sides a much sharper read than a normal practice ever could.
For a handful of Browns players, that makes this week about more than just getting reps. It’s a chance to climb, cling, or separate from the pack.
Shedeur Sanders is at the center of that conversation. After a solid outing from Deshaun Watson, Sanders now has to make the strongest case he can in both the joint practice and the preseason game if he wants to stay in the mix for the Browns’ starting quarterback job.
The path is straightforward: cut down on pre-snap mistakes, take what Buffalo gives him, and show the deep ball when the situation calls for it. Sanders and Watson are expected to split first-team reps, so the evaluation starts immediately.
There are already flashes to point to. On third-and-long against a Cover 0 look, Sanders held his ground long enough to find Luke Floriea and move the chains, a useful snapshot of what he can do when the picture doesn’t completely fall apart around him.
Michael Coats Jr. has also put himself in the conversation. He stood out in the Browns’ first preseason game by intercepting Tyson Bagent at the end of the second quarter and handing Cleveland’s offense a two-minute chance.
That kind of play matters for a roster hopeful, especially in a cornerback room that looked thin before the preseason began. Coats has been trending upward there, and a strong showing against one of the NFL’s best offenses would only strengthen the case that he could be the Browns’ next under-the-radar find.
Then there’s the wide receiver battle at the back end of the roster. Cleveland has more depth there than it did a year ago, but the final spot still looks like a fight among Gage Larvadain, Luke Floriea, and Cedric Tillman.
Tillman did not play in the Browns’ first preseason game, while Floriea doesn’t fit the usual profile of a fringe receiver who can help on multiple special teams units. That leaves Larvadain as the apparent favorite, especially with his name listed as the team’s punt returner, even though he hasn’t exactly dominated that job.
If Larvadain can stack together big plays and make noise on special teams in the joint practice, he can tighten his grip on that final receiver spot.
Cleveland won’t decide the roster on the basis of one practice, but Thursday still offers something valuable: a direct test against a top Buffalo team. For Sanders, Coats Jr., and Larvadain, the assignment is simple. Show up against one of the league’s best and make the Browns think twice about where each of them stands.
In Other News...
Browns Just Made Shedeur Sanders' Long Term Outlook Feel Much Clearer
Todd Monken has already given Cleveland a pretty clear look at how the quarterback work is going to be divided this preseason. Shedeur Sanders got first-team reps on Monday, while Deshaun Watson handled the top unit on Tuesday, a setup that says plenty about where each player stands as the Browns sort through the early stages of camp and try to shape Sanders development without rushing the process.
The bigger picture is the one that matters most for Cleveland, because the team appears to be mapping out a future that still runs through Watson in the short term while leaving room for Sanders to grow into a bigger role later. For a young quarterback trying to build credibility in a crowded room, that kind of structure can be meaningful, and it is why the way the Browns manage the next stretch of preseason work will be watched closely. [Read more 🡒]
Browns May Have Found A Preseason Underdog Fans Should Watch
Michael Coats Jr. has taken an unconventional route to get here, moving from community college football to West Virginia before landing with the Browns as an undrafted free agent. In a preseason that tends to sort out long-shot hopefuls from real roster candidates, he has given Cleveland something to think about with a strong defensive showing.
Coats turned heads with an interception and earned a strong Pro Football Focus grade, the kind of early evidence that can keep a player in the conversation as roster decisions get tighter. For a Browns team always looking for depth and upside, his preseason work has made him one of those under-the-radar names worth tracking as the competition continues. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Roster Bubble Just Got More Dangerous After Uneven Debut
The Browns first preseason game did little to clarify the back end of the roster, and for a few players it may have made the picture even murkier. After the loss to the Bears, Dawand Jones, Joe Royer, Raheim Sanders and Cedric Tillman all found themselves lumped into the group most likely sweating the final cutdown, with each carrying a different kind of concern heading into the next stretch of evaluation.
Jones uneven showing came at a particularly awkward time, with other bubble players turning in more convincing reps and tightening the race for jobs that once looked more settled. Royers situation has been even harder to measure because he has been away from the team for a personal matter, Sanders did not make much of his limited snaps, and Tillman was unavailable because of injury, leaving the Browns with more questions than answers as the roster begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]