Crystal ball time

Now that training camp 2021 is underway for the Browns, time to haul out the time machine and see what the 53-man roster will look like when the final trim arrives on the final day of next month.

This will not be the roster, however, when the club opens the regular season 12 days later in Kansas City against the Chiefs. It will still be somewhat malleable, mostly at the bottom of the roster, until then and some of the names that appear here will disappear.

It will not be difficult this season to be correct on a majority of the choices, especially with an offense that returns most of last season's major contributors. The defense will be harder, primarily because General Manager Andrew Berry basically overhauled it.

Let's start with an easy one.

                    OFFENSE

Quarterbacks (3) -- Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum, Kyle Lauletta

Starter: Mayfield. Off the bench: Keenum. Practice squad: Lauletta

Thoughts -- Obviously a no-brainer. Barring an injury, which has never shelved Mayfield in his National Football League career, big things are expected of him.

Running backs (6) -- Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, D'Ernest Johnson, Demetric Felton, John Kelly, Tre Harbison

Starters: Chubb, Hunt. Off the bench: Johnson, Felton. See ya: Kelly, Harbison

Thoughts -- If Chubb and Hunt play every game (Chubb missed four last season), these two are more than capable of putting up 3,000 total yards from scrimmage and at least 25 touchdowns. They give defensive coordinators nightmares. Johnson can start for a few other teams. Felton is versatile as a returner and combo running back/wide receiver.. 

Fullbacks (2) -- Andy Janovich, Johnny Stanton

Starter: Janovich. Practice squad: Stanton 

Thoughts -- Janovich won't see many snaps, but is highly efficient when given the opportunity. Top notch blocker.

Wide receivers (10) -- Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz, J'Marcus Bradley, JoJo Natson, Ryan Switzer, Alexander Hollins

Starters: Landry, Beckham. Off the bench: Higgins, Hodge, Peoples-Jones, Schwartz. Practice squad: Switzer, Bradley. See ya: Natson, Hollins

Thoughts -- It will be interesting to see if head coach/playcaller Kevin Stefanski tries again to force the ball to Beckham, who has caught just 55% of the passes directed at him by Mayfield in a season and a half. Landry is Captain Reliable; Higgins, Peoples-Jones and Hodge provide strong quality depth; and Schwartz, the track star, will be kept because he was a high draft choice.

Tight ends (6)  -- Austin Hooper, Harrison Bryant, David Njoku, Stephen Carlson, Jordan Franks, Connor Davis

Starters: Hooper, Bryant. Off the bench: Njoku. Practice squad: Carlson. See ya: Franks, Davis

Thoughts -- Same as last season with Bryant possibly catching more passes than Hooper after a poor second half last season. This will be Njoku's final season with Cleveland.

Centers (3) -- JC Tretter, Nick Harris, Blake Hance

Starter: Tretter. Off the bench: Harris, Hance

Thoughts -- Tretter needs to stay healthy to keep the smallish Harris tethered to the bench. Hance, who stepped into the breach due to injuries late last season and was impressive, is versatile enough to play anywhere on the offensive line.

Guards (7) -- Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Drew Forbes, Michael Dunn, Colby Gossett, Cordel Iwuagwu, Javon Patterson

Starters: Bitonio, Teller. Off the bench: Dunn. Practice squad: Forbes. See ya: Gossett, Iwuagwu, Patterson

Thoughts -- Arguably the best guard tandem in the NFL. Dunn provides adequate depth. Forbes, who opted out of last season during the pandemic, is there in case of injury.

Tackles 6) -- Jack Conklin, Jedrick Wills Jr., Chris Hubbard, Alex Taylor, Greg Senat, James Hudson III

Starters: Conklin, Wills. Off the bench: Hubbard, Hudson. Practice squad: Taylor, Senat

Thoughts -- Looking for a strong second season from Wills, especially in the run game. Conklin is one of the best offensive tackles in the game. Average depth

                    DEFENSE

Ends (7) -- Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, Takkarist McKinley, Joe Jackson, Cameron Malveaux, Porter Gustin, Romeo McKnight

Starters: Garrett, Clowney. Off the bench: McKinley, Jackson. Practice squad: Gustin, Malveaux.. See ya: McKnight

Thoughts -- Count me a huge skeptic with regard to the pass rush. It will be the peerless Garrett and more than a few cross your fingers. Not counting on Clowney and McKinley to be major contributors. The Browns will miss Olivier Vernon.

Tackles (8) -- Andrew Billings, Malik Jackson, Jordan Elliott, Sheldon Day, Marvin Wilson, Tommy Togiai, Malik McDowell, Damion Square

Starters: Billings, Jackson. Off the bench: Elliott, Togiai. Practice squad: Wilson, See ya: McDowell, Square, Day

Thoughts -- Oh boy. There is trouble at this position. Only one of the candidates (Elliott) played for the Browns last season and it was sparingly. Expecting Togiai to surprise. Losing Sheldon Richardson in free agency was an unwise move.

Linebackers (9) -- Anthony Walker, Mack Wilson, Jacob Phillips, Sione Takitaki, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Malcolm Smith, Curtis Weaver, Tony Fields II, Elijah Lee

Starters: Walker, Owusu-Koramoah. Off the bench: Phillips, Takitaki, Wilson. Practice squad: Fields, Weaver, Lee. See ya: Smith

Thoughts -- Walker stabilizes the middle, while JOK plays all over the field as the Swiss Army watch in coordinator Joe Woods' multi-look defense. Phillips, Takitaki and Wilson will see plenty of snaps. They're going to try and sneak Weaver, a terrific standup rusher, onto the practice squad.

Cornerbacks (10) -- Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, Greg Newsome II, Troy Hill, M. J. Stewart Jr., Robert Jackson, Brian Allen, A. J. Green, Emmanuel Rugamba, Thomas Kiondre

Starters: Ward, Newsome, Hill. Off the bench: Williams, Stewart, Jackson. Practice squad: Green, Allen. See ya: Rugamba, Kiondre

Thoughts -- It would be nice if Ward and Newsome play an entire season without missing games due to injury. Ditto for Williams, who missed several games as a rookie and the entire 2020 season. Hill is one of the best nickel corners in the NFL. Jackson barely beats Green and Allen for the last spot.

Safeties (8) -- John Johnson III, Ronnie Harrison Jr., Grant Delpit, Sheldrick Redwine, Richard LeCounte III, Montrel Meander, Elijah Benton, Javonte Moffatt

Starters: Johnson, Harrison, Delpit. Off the bench: LeCounte, Redwine. See ya: Benton, Moffatt, Meander

Thoughts -- Woods most likely will use Johnson, Harrison and Delpit in a three-safety look in his 4-2-5 base. Each brings his own unique set of talents to the position. Delpit, who missed all of 2020, is the most versatile of this trio and very well be used like JOK.

                    SPECIALISTS

Placekicker (2) -- Cody Parkey, Chase McLaughlin. Starter: McLaughlin. See ya: Parkey

Punter -- Jamie Gillan. 

Long snapper -- Charley Hughlett

Thoughts -- McLaughlin wins the job because he has a stronger leg, But don't get too excited about him. The Browns will continue to scour the waiver wire in an attempt to strengthen the position. Gillan, coming off an average second season, had no competition in camp. And Hughlett is one of the best long snappers in the league.