The magic 53

With the COVID-19 testing, physicals and equipment distribution, eight days of weight training and five-day “ramp up period” just about over for the Browns, now’s a good time to project what the roster will look like on opening day.

Normally an exercise performed in the past shortly after training camp breaks and the final roster cuts are made days before the season opener, this season’s guessathon arrives early.

Why? Kind of unusual, no? Of course it is, but everything about the 2020 National Football League season is unusual. The pandemic has pretty much shunted the word “usual” into the background.

As a result, this season’s predictions will be much easier than in the past. Okay why again? First off, there are no exhibition games, which heavily impacts the makeup of the roster. Undrafted rookies and free agents won’t get the opportunity to show what they can do in a game, meaningless or otherwise.

That makes it tougher on the coaching staff to evaluate the marginal players in camp between now and final roster trim (Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. EDT). The only competition will be intra-squad, which clearly gives the edge to veterans.

Right now, the staff has a pretty good idea who will make up the first roughly 35 to 40 men on the opening roster. The final 10 to 15 will make the cub based on what they show in camp for the next month or so.

Beginning Monday, the Browns go full pads for 14 practices – that’s all they are allowed – which include what is being called a “contact integration period.”  In other words getting used to hitting and being hit.

With that mind, here are the 53 men, with fingers crossed, who will be on the roster in the season opener Sept. 13 in Baltimore.

QUARTERBACK: Baker Mayfield starts. Backups: Case Keenum and Garrett Gilbert. Keenum in the backup role gives head coach Kevin Stefanski comfort if Mayfield goes down or has an off day.

RUNNING BACK: Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt start. Backups: Dontrell Hilliard, rookie Benny LeMay. Chubb and Hunt are the perfect tandem for Stefanski’s run-oriented offense. Wouldn’t be surprised if both gain at least 1,000 yards rushing. Gambling 5-8 rookie LeMay will surprise in camp and beat out D’Ernest Johnson.

FULLBACK: Andy Janovich bests Johnny Stanton. The Browns will not have problems scoring touchdowns from inside the 10 this season with (finally) an experienced fullback..

WIDE RECEIVER: Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. start. Backups: Rashard Higgins, rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones, KhaDarel Hodge. Stefanski keeps only five with the greater emphasis on the ground game this season. JoJo Natson is strictly a return man. People-Jones isn’t. Hodge is solid on special teams.

TIGHT END: Austin Hooper and David Njoku start. Backups: Rookie Harrison Bryant, Stephen Carlson. Clevelander Pharaoh Brown is a good blocker. Carlson is a better receiver. Bryant ready to step in if Njoku fails.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Rookie Jedrick Wills Jr., Joel Bitonio, JC Tretter, Wyatt Teller and Jack Conklin start. Backups: Chris Hubbard, rookie Chris Harris, Kendall Lamm and Willie Wright. Harris starts if Tretter’s knee problems don’t disappear by the opener. Much better up front with the addition of Wills and Conklin at the tackles.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Myles Garrett, Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi and Olivier Vernon start. Backups: Chad Thomas, Adrian Clayborn, rookie Jordan Elliott, Porter Gustin, Eli Ankou. Andrew Billings opting out hurt. He would have been on this list otherwise. Daniel Ekuuale will not return.

LINEBACKER: Mack Wilson and B. J. Goodson start. Backups: Sione Takitaki, rookie Jacob Phillips, Tae Davis. Lots of grit, but not much speed. Davis is a special teamer. This area of the defense needs to be addressed next season. Gonna be a long season for this position.

CORNERBACK: Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams start. Backups: Kevin Johnson, Terrance Mitchell, Tavierre Thomas, rookie A. J. Green. Lots of youthful experience here. Green and Johnson could see a lot of reps in the dime. Thomas is a special teams stickout.

SAFETY: Karl Joseph, and rookie Grant Delpit start. Backups: Sheldrick Redwine, Andrew Sendejo. Solid tackling from newcomers Sendejo and Joseph. The multitalented Delpit will be seen all over the field.

SPECIALISTS: Punter Jamie Gillan, placekicker Austin Seibert and long snapper Charley Hughlett. Nothing to be concerned with here. They are so good, there is no competition in camp.

That’s it. The magic 53, most of whom are returning veterans, veteran free-agent signees and rookies selected by the Browns in the last college draft. All seven draftees make it.