Three Cleveland Browns Players To Watch In Preseason Finale vs. Chicago Bears
Saturday night's matchup with the Chicago Bears will be the last time the Browns can get a live-action look at a few players with question marks.
On August 30, NFL rosters have to be trimmed down to 53 players. This means that the Browns will be releasing a good chunk of their roster, which is currently at 80 players. They'll also be watching around the league, monitoring if any valuable players could be brought in.
Here are three players to watch in the preseason finale against the Chicago Bears.
Jacoby Brissett
Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. This will be the first live game action that Brissett will see since he signed a one-year deal with the Browns this offseason.
Publicly, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has backed Brissett, stating that the offense has a lot of faith in him as the team's starter for 11 games without Deshaun Watson.
It will be interesting to see how Stefanski manages Brissett's playing time. If he scores on the first drive, it's possible his night could be over. The Browns understand that they're one bad play away from Joshua Dobbs as the team's starting quarterback. After a close call at practice where a defender got too close to Brissett, expect Stefanski to play things safe.
Anthony Schwartz
No, Schwartz isn't getting cut. At just 21 years old, the Browns are not going to quickly give up on a receiver with 4.27 speed that they spent a third-round pick on just last year.
However, Schwartz should see some snaps with Brissett and Dobbs as the Browns attempt to carve out a role in the offense for him this year. If Schwartz struggles, it increases the chances they could pursue a trade for disgruntled Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims or closely monitor the Darius Slayton situation.
If he shines, the Browns could role just the dice with a young, inexperienced group of receivers including David Bell and Demetric Felton.
Chase Winovich
After the Browns drafted Alex Wright in the third round, the defensive end room became a little crowded.
Obviously, Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney are locks, but the depth spots are still up for grabs.
7th-round pick Isaiah Thomas has outshined his draft positioning in the preseason, making it hard to stash him on a practice squad. Isaac Rochell has been a bright spot, as well.
The Browns swapped Mack Wilson, who requested a trade, for Winovich, who was disappointing with the Patriots last season. He's missed some time in camp and preseason due to a hamstring injury. If he can get on the field tomorrow, he's a player to watch in a congested defense.
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