The Browns’ second preseason game against the Bills may end up looking a lot more like a dress rehearsal for the reserves than a true tune-up for the starters.
That’s because Cleveland and Buffalo have already mapped out Thursday’s joint practice with Saturday’s game in mind. According to head coach Todd Monken, he and Bills counterpart Joe Brady agreed that if both staffs “see out of our ones, our group, our older players, what we wanna see on Thursday, they would not play in the game. We agreed upon that.”
If that plan holds, the Browns’ preseason matchup at Huntington Bank Field should be heavy on second- and third-string players.
That would put Shedeur Sanders in line to start at quarterback, with Dylan Sampson at running back. The projected receiving group includes Isaiah Bond, Cedric Tillman and Tylan Wallace, while Blake Whiteheart is the tight end listed with that unit.
Up front, the offensive line projection has Austin Barber at right tackle, KT Leveston at right guard, Luke Wypler at center, Kinglsey Eguakun at left guard and Dawand Jones at left tackle. Cleveland did shuffle its linemen around on Tuesday, including Leveston at tackle and Barber at guard, but there’s not much expectation that those looks will carry into a game setting. Jeremiah Byers should also be part of the mix again.
Sanders was already set to get one preseason start after Monken said both quarterbacks competing for the job, Sanders and Deshaun Watson, would each start one of the two exhibition games. Watson got his turn last Saturday in Chicago, which leaves Sanders positioned for this one. With the agreement between Monken and Brady, though, Sanders appears unlikely to get a preseason start with the first unit.
The defensive side could be just as deep into the roster. The projected line has Isaiah McGuire and Khordae Sydnor at end, with Adin Huntington and Travis Bell at tackle. Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Winston Reid and Nathaniel Watson are lined up at linebacker, while Tre Avery and Nate Evans are the corners and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Christopher Edmonds the safeties.
That group comes with a warning sign, too: Cleveland is thin along the defensive line, even as the front office works to add veteran help. The Browns can’t afford many hits there in the short term. Rookie linebacker Justin Jefferson and rookie cornerback Michael Coates Jr. are also expected to see plenty of action.
On special teams, Nik Constantinou is projected to handle punting duties, Andre Szmyt is the kicker and Rex Sunahara is the long snapper. Constantinou should get a long look again, though Corey Bojorquez could still make an appearance. Szmyt should get several chances to kick as well.
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 🡒]