The Cleveland Browns open training camp on July 28 at their practice facility in Berea, Ohio. The Browns finished the regular season 6-10 and in third place in the AFC North. They return 18 starters from that team as well as coordinator Mike Priefer (special teams). Here's a 53-player roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (2): Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum
Though not a starter, Keenum might be one of Cleveland's most important offseason signings. He excelled running Kevin Stefanski's offense in Minnesota, and figures to be a valuable sounding board and mentor to Mayfield, entering a pivotal third season in the league.
RUNNING BACK (4): Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Dontrell Hilliard, D'Ernest Johnson
After coming up just 46 yards short last season, Chubb seems primed to contend again for the rushing title again in Stefanski's multiple tight end, run-heavy scheme. A former rushing champ himself, Hunt might be the top running back wingman in the league. Hilliard and Johnson are both special teams holdovers for incumbent special teams coordinator Mike Priefer.
FULLBACK (1): Andy Janovich
An underrated, but certainly not unimportant addition, Janovich stands to bolster the Browns as the lead blocker in short-yardage and goal-line situations, where they stumbled often last year -- most notoriously becoming the first team since the 1993 New York Jets to run six plays from an opponent's 2-yard line or closer on a possession without scoring.
WIDE RECEIVER (5): Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, KhaDarel Hodge
After Beckham and Landry battled nagging injuries all last season, the Browns are bullish that offseason surgeries will make them healthy again. If so, they're as potent as any receiving duo in the league. Higgins re-signed with Cleveland for less money than he would have gotten elsewhere, hoping to rekindle the chemistry he had with Mayfield in 2018. Peoples-Jones fell to the sixth round after an underwhelming career at Michigan. But he's talented, and the X-factor here. Natson, whom the Browns signed as a returner, would technically be the sixth receiver.
TIGHT END (4): Austin Hooper, David Njoku, Pharaoh Brown, Harrison Bryant
The tight end position is suddenly paramount with Stefanski taking over, and the Browns added the top one on the free agent market in Hooper, who compiled 146 receptions over the previous two seasons. A new front office and new coaching staff could also give new life to Njoku, who fell into the doghouse last year. But he might not be around much longer after asking for a trade. Bryant, a fourth-round pick, was college football's Mackey Award winner as the nation's top tight end, and could bring even more playmaking to the position, if he can hold up strength-wise.
OFFENSIVE LINE (8): Jedrick Wills Jr., Joel Bitonio, JC Tretter, Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin, Chris Hubbard, Drew Forbes, Nick Harris
With the additions of Conklin and Wills at tackle, this is easily the most improved position group on the team, and just might be the most improved line in the NFL. Right guard is the question mark, though Teller did start the back half of last season. Despite losing his starting spot to Conklin, Hubbard restructured his deal to stay in Cleveland and could fill a valuable role as a sixth man, capable of playing anywhere off the bench.
DEFENSIVE LINE (9): Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Richardson, Olivier Vernon, Adrian Clayborn, Chad Thomas, Andrew Billings, Jordan Elliott, Daniel Ekuale
This unit cratered in the wake of Garrett's season-ending suspension last year. Garrett is back, but the Browns also addressed their depth here, signing Clayborn and Billings and drafting Elliott. Though the Browns pursued Jadeveon Clowney to start opposite Garrett, they're hopeful Vernon can remain healthy and supply some of the complementary pass rush that was missing in 2019. Ekuale or Eli Ankou's roster spot could get appropriated for another offensive lineman.
LINEBACKER (6): Mack Wilson, B.J. Goodson, Sione Takitaki, Jacob Phillips, Willie Harvey, Tae Davis
The biggest unknown on the squad, the Browns will be heavily reliant on a pair of second-year linebackers in Wilson and Takitaki. Wilson did start 14 games last year after Christian Kirksey's season-ending pectoral injury. Cleveland is banking that Goodson will provide a veteran bridge to the younger players, which includes Phillips, a third-round pick this year. Davis gets the 53-man nod, thanks to his special teams contribution.
SECONDARY (10): Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, Grant Delpit, Karl Joseph, Andrew Sendejo, Kevin Johnson, Sheldrick Redwine, Terrance Mitchell, Tavierre Thomas, A.J. Green
The Browns overhauled the safety position, signing Joseph and Sendejo to one-year deals. The future, though, is Delpit, who has the talent to win a starting job in training camp. Johnson, another free-agent signing, is a willing tackler, a requisite for the nickelback in coordinator Joe Woods' defense. Priefer loves Thomas as a special teams stalwart. Despite going undrafted, Green has a path to a roster spot after the Browns gave him a franchise-record $165,000 signing bonus.
SPECIALIST (4): Austin Seibert, Jamie Gillan, Charley Hughlett, JoJo Natson
Cleveland seems to be set long-term at the punter and kicker spots following promising rookie seasons from Gillan and Seibert. Signing Natson should help solidify the return teams, which were wobbly last year.