Roster guessing

Now that Super Bowl el-vee-eye-eye -- never understood why the National Football League chooses Roman numerals instead of much-easier to-understand regular figures to herald its biggest event of the year -- is history, time to shift gears and peer into the future of the Browns.

As in what can we look forward to in the form of who returns, who departs and who is barely hanging on to a spot on a roster that, once again, put their fans through another disappointing, underachieving season in 2022, returning to the AFC North basement in the process.

There is a lot of quality talent on that roster, a majority of which lies on the offensive side of the football. The defense, meanwhile, bears a sizable portion of the blame for the 7-10 record, which could easily have been 9-8 and, arguably, 10-7 with any kind of clutch football by the defense.

Instead, fans were tortured with what felt like a season-long epidemic of blown pass coverages at the most inappropriate times. Like late in games after the offense played well enough to win. Out goes Joe Woods, in comes Jim Schwartz, ostensibly to fix the gaping wound that hoisted a stop sign on any postseason.

The new sheriff in town coaches antithetically to his predecessor. Rather than watching Woods' back-on-their-heels soft approach to defense, Schwartz's defenses over the years are known for their bellicose aggression. That right there should excite the fan base.

And with Deshaun Watson on board for the entire season after serving an 11-game suspension to start last season, there is no question the offense will be significantly improved, especially in the passing game. It helps immensely that the coaching staff on that side of the football is pretty much intact. 

Following is a breakdown of the current 80-man roster, which consists of the 53-man main squad, 15 contributors last season currently on injured reserve and 12 on the reserve/future list. The their chances of each playing for the Browns in 2023 will be judged with these possible outcomes: No brainer, solid, iffy, barely hanging on, gonzo. We start with the offense. . . .

          QUARTERBACK

Deshaun Watson: No brainer. Pay no attention to the six games he played after escaping his suspension. That's not the quarterback you'll see this season. He'll be fully indoctrinated in Kevin Stefanski's system.

Jacoby Brissett: Gonzo. He's a free agent and the sneaky (pun intended) good season he had in Watson's absence will land him elsewhere with a chance to start. GM Andrew Berry will scour widely and find a quality backup for his $230 million quarterback.

Kellen Mond: Who? Gonzo. He was strictly insurance.

          RUNNING BACK

Nick Chubb: No brainer. Duh! But I believe we'll see him get more touches. Watson is best when he spreads the ball around. That means Chubb, whose receiving skills have improved nicely, will get a chance to break even more tackles in space.

Kareem Hunt: Gonzo. The vaunted Chubb-Hunt tandem in the same backfield never materialized. It seemed as though Stefanski never figured out how to maximize their unique talents. He'll make some RB-starved team happy.

Jerome Ford: No brainer. Stood out as a rookie as a kick returner. Figures to take over the Hunt role as Chubb's backup. Bright future.

D'Ernest Johnson: Iffy. The Browns like him, especially after a 2021 season when he filled in nicely when injuries hit the position hard. But he was puzzlingly almost totally ignored  last season. Touched the ball only seven times. A free agent who might look for greener pastures.

Demetric Felton Jr.: Gonzo. Didn't stand out in anything in his two seasons. Was he a running back or wide receiver? Turns out it was neither.

John Kelly Jr.: Gonzo. Reserve-future who might be good enough for the practice squad.

Nate McCrary: Gonzo. Ditto.

          TIGHT END

David Njoku: No brainer. He tops the depth chart here, but not worth the $55 million the club invested to keep him for the next several seasons. But he is entrenched. Maybe Watson can help him unfurl a big season.

Harrison Bryant: Solid. Used primarily as a blocker in a two tight-end scheme. Not given much of a chance to showcase his receiving skills.

Pharaoh Brown: Barely hanging on. A free agent who most likely will play somewhere else.

Jesse James: Gonzo. Ditto. A non-contributor last season.

Zaire Mitchell-Paden: Gonzo. Reserve/future candidate for the practice squad?

          WIDE RECEIVER

Amari Cooper: No brainer. One of the NFL's best -- 1,160 yards, nine touchdowns, 15 yards per reception. 61 of his 78 receptions gained first downs. Produced nine of the club's 19 touchdowns through the air. He and Watson form one of the league's best passing tandems.

Donovan Peoples-Jones: No brainer. Was on his way to a 1,000-yard season, but slumped toward the end. Like Cooper, made numerous clutch catches. Noted for his downfield blocking. 

David Bell: No brainer. Rookie slot receiver who emerged midway through the season. Made several tough short-yardage catches, grabbing nearly 70% of his targets. Not fast, but extremely reliable.

Michael Woods II: Iffy. The Browns like his speed. His spot on the main roster depends on how much Berry tries to strengthen the position's depth. Otherwise, practice squad.

Anthony Schwartz: Barely hanging on. Fastest guy on the team. One of the fastest men on the planet. Not a football payer. Bad draft choice. 

Jakeem Grant: Gonzo. Brought the All-Pro in last season to return kicks. Ruptured his Achilles in training camp. With Ford now handling the job, Grant is as good as gone.

Jaelon Darden: Gonzo. Fodder for training camp.

Mike Harley Jr.: Gonzo. Ditto.

Daylen Baldwin: Gonzo. Ditto.

Marquez Stevenson: Gonzo. Ditto.

Isaiah Weston: Gonzo. Ditto.

          OFFENSIVE LINE

                CENTER

Ethan Pocic: No brainer. Signed as a free agent last season as insurance and paid off that policy when he filled in beautifully after presumed starter Nick Harris went down with a significant knee injury in training camp. Graded highly all season by Pro Football Focus. Resigning him should top Berry's to-do list. 

Nick Harris: No brainer. Versatile enough to play either center or guard. Because of his size (barely six feet tall), cannot be counted on to play on a regular basis, but good enough to make the final 53.

Dawson Deaton: Barely hanging on. Late-round draft pick tore his ACL in training camp last year. Will get another chance this year. At best, he's a maybe. A practice squad candidate.

                 GUARD

Joel Bitonio: No brainer. Perennial Pro Bowler. One of the best pulling guards in the NFL. Stands out as one of the team's leaders. Keeps on going and going and going with no dropoff in consistency.

Wyatt Teller: No brainer. Had a slight dropoff from his terrific 2021 campaign, but sill one of the best in the NFL as he and Bitonio form the best guard tandem in the league.

Drew Forbes: Solid. Most of the action he saw last season was as an extra lineman in jumbo packages in the red zone. Coaches like him. 

Michael Dunn: Solid. Ditto. 

Hjalte Froholdt: Iffy. Showed his versatility late last season when he filled in admirably in the pivot when Pocic missed several games and did not embarrass himself. He's one of those types of players who make rosters because of their versatility. He leans toward solid.

                   TACKLE

Jack Conklin: No brainer. As solid as they come.You can pencil in his name at right tackles for at least the next three seasons. 

Jedrick Wills Jr: Solid. Was tempted to write iffy because the first-round pick in the 2020 draft  has been a big disappointment. He is mediocre at best in pass protection and not that much better in the ground game. His biggest problems: False starts and holding. Would not be surprised if the Browns fail to pick up his fifth-year option.

James Hudson III: Solid. Has not developed nearly as much as the Browns had hoped after his first two seasons in the NFL. Owns neither the quickness nor toughness required of an offensive tackle. He makes the final 53, though, because he's, well, better than anyone else. Love to see him challenge Wills.

Chris Hubbard: Barely hanging on. One of these years, he will graduate to gonzo. He'll be 32 in April and not nearly the player he was when he joined he Browns in 2018 after four seasons in Pittsburgh. 

Joe Haeg: Gonzo. No chance whatsoever.

Tyrone Wheatley Jr.: Gonzo. Ditto.

Next: The defense and special teams