Cleveland Browns 53-Man Roster Predictions w/ Zac Jackson: Who is safe and who is getting cut?

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This was a draft pick, you know how people are about, you know how he is Watkins showed up 20 minutes before that. So to me, I thought he was the chances of him making, it was more than him getting cut because of the fact simply he was a draft pick, but the way that he played well in the preseason that just kind of made me be like, all right, they're cool with moving off of other guys because they have him Zach. You in your last projection, had him off and had uh somebody not of the roster. Then my first projection I had, that was the first, oh Mike, you screwed me up. I didn't have him. Now. I immediately kind of had some buyers remorse there, but I would say that Tyus is right, like 75% lean to is because he's a draft pick, but you never saw him until last week, do anything except in those preseason games. So now is that just the maturation of a rookie in an offense? And, you know, the disjointedness, noncompetitive of training camp or is this guy a gamer? And they were always going to keep him and it's, it's time to go. So I, I just had them making five because I thought they know who their top two are. They're praying for the next two, you know, and then we'll see. Right. So, but I mean, I think because of the draft pick and because you probably do keep six, ultimately, that was maybe one I regret if I was going to do it again, but it was two in the morning frankly. And so he's like a Saturday Night live writer here. Uh, let's talk about running back too because we were talking about this earlier. Obviously, got a lot of guys banged up. Uh You got two guys on the pup list. Pierre Strong has, is dealing with something Beyonce Foreman dealing with something. We, we mentioned Jerrick mckinnon before I know some MA JP Ryan P Ryan. Do you think they're gonna go get a veteran running back or are they, you gonna just stick with what they, I think they're gonna explore it now. Strong is going to be back at practice today. But the question is, is he a running back at all? He's one of your best special teams players. Um He, he could be your kick returner. He's one of your best gunners. He might be the fastest guy on the team in Australia. But do you see if you need him to be the number two running back in September? Are you, are you comfortable with that? So that's where the decision comes in. Foreman will not practice today. It comes down to really next week with him. It's a rib injury. Um, you know, he's listed at 235. He's not, there's nothing special about him but he's played, you know, it kind of reminds me of like, um Carl's hot, right? You know, like you need two, I'll get you two you need four. I'll get you two. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Sorry you're not doing this. That was so I think you look there the return. He is the other part of it. They said Naheem Heines is our returner and then we'll see who the other guys are and right now we think it's Pierre strong but you need to and so he is a returner. Yes, but you wanted Heinz to be the real return and then who's your punt returner? I don't know. So what are your crochet? And they cut and those guys were never going to make the team that was always bring them back on the practice squad in there, but Heinz is on pup right to start the season. Heinz will be on NF I same as pu out at least a month. Yes. So that's Piers will be the returner. Mary Kay put out something on Twitter today saying that the Browns might shop Jameis Winston, which I don't understand. Does that make any sense? No, it doesn't. You're not buying that. I don't think there'd be any market for him first. You know, unless there's a surprise quarterback injury somewhere around the league that we don't know about. Um, you know, the Browns wanted to make this a position of strength and I think even though they never publicly admitted it, they had to regret the way the Dobbs deal. Well, of course, right. And I think a couple of weeks ago when they were talking about teams, they thought they could maybe get something for DTR. It didn't work out. So I think it's part of the negotiation process. They did talk about DTR with multiple teams. They did talk about Huntley with multiple teams. Go back to the spring. There was no market for Huntley. That's why he ended up here. It was a really good signing for the Browns. They knew they needed a veteran guy. They knew what his skill set was and how it fit, kind of what they wanted the offense to be. And now we're at the day they have to decide. So I think that's probably just conjecture, but I, I would be surprised, I think probably Huntley doesn't make the team ends up getting traded maybe for, you know, that backup tight end, backup, backup running back or receiver that they need to fill out the roster. What about the left tackle? That's a great question because they play in 10 days. So we don't know who the left tackle is going to be. Could it be Conklin? It could be. Now he played a little bit as a rookie and in his second year, but these were like spot middle of the drive, a guy got hurt either over or lined him up there in a certain package they were running, but we only saw Jack Conklin one time doing anything or maybe twice. But the last time we saw him in a walkthrough period where he was over with a trainer, he was taking left tackle drops. So, that's notable. So, could it be Conklin? Yes. But again, even though he's activated and he's passed his physical, I don't think he's going through a 90 minute practice today. Right. Like, he just hasn't done it. So, no, he's played in the league for a long, long time. Can, if he's practicing next Wednesday, can he learn it? Can he do it in a pinch? Sure. And maybe Wills is gonna play. But again, now we're getting closer and closer. They're down to seven practices. So everyone Wills isn't there. It's probably less likely that he's gonna play. What is your thoughts on Wills past this season? That's a great question. Thank you. You know, I, I came, I came prepared. I think they have always wanted it to work. I think the way they've structured his restructures if he will has done that. They al they drafted him as a young player. They moved him to a new position, but I think he has to earn it. You know, he has to be available and he has to go out there and play at a high level. So if you look at the future rosters and look at this cap, left tackle is a glaring thing and they want it to be their guy, but in an ideal world where the quarterback has a good year and the receivers therefore have a good year. You can draft a left tackle in the first year and he cost you a lot less than Jed Wills will. On the extent. Does he have dead money after this year? He does? But it can, it can be that like twice, Jason, they've, they've taken what's left on his deal and pushed it forward to make it dead money just using it because they're just outspending everyone. We haven't, obviously, I talked to Zach all the time, but we haven't really talked about this. I didn't really think about, I mentioned this earlier in the show. The Browns very clearly have a philosophy when they believe in someone, they lock him up early and it never really occurred to me, Jed's playing on his fifth year option and he has nothing after this. How much should we read into that and their long term belief. And, you know, I liken it to the Baker situation where they played him with one arm going into his last year because they had to know they needed to know if it was worth extending or not. And it sort of feels they're in the same spot with Jedd of. They're still trying to decide if what they have and when you're going on your fifth year, shouldn't, if you don't know. Isn't that your answer? Well, I don't think you have to read into it. I think it jumps off the page however. Well, I'm very, not bright, however, it gets hurt at mid season last year. Right. And so that time that could have been used to earn that extension even finalize it. He's not there. Then he, they bring, they want to bring him back for the end of the year, then they switch to the surgery and now 9.5 months off the surgery, he's not back on the field yet. So you're not gonna sign a guy that you don't know about medically. So I think it could work out. Um, but I need to see it before I would say yes, they're gonna do and they finally have a first round pick. That's where you get a left tackle eight times out of 10. Is, is it a first round even as low as there gonna be more than likely drafting? Yes, you can still get a left tackle there. Historically. What's Conklin's dead money? He, he has no money right after. He guarantees are this year, but he has a bunch of money, but you can do the June June 1st cut and, and because we were talking about that earlier, I have the exact money right now. If you want, it's 16, it would save next year. Now you're gonna, you're gonna pay for it on your cap for multiple years, but you would save 16 next year. So when you look at next year, the first thing you see is Jack Hawkins is not gonna be on this team. Now, if he's healthy and has a good year, they'll restructure and work around it. But if he's not, that's the first thing you see, he's the first guy that's not going to be on this team. Let's, let's talk about, uh, who's gonna end up making the team on the offensive line. We know the top six we've talked about in your last projection on Sunday. You, the other guys you had them keeping Zach Zinter, uh, Nick Harris, Aed and Hudson. You think you sticking with that and he changes or? Well, we haven't seen Michael Dunn in almost four weeks. So that's, that's my question. I mean, if Michael Dunn's healthy and available, I think he makes the team and he's probably the first guard ahead of the rookie. Is that back again? Is this back? Uh, I don't know, we haven't seen him. How close do you think Cohen is Zach in, in terms of making this? I will not be on the practice squad. Cohen will be on the practice squad. Um, he, he's just, they drafted a guard and they have Michael Dunn. So he, he's just not, it just comes down to who is your next legitimate option at left tackle? Is it Hudson? Is it a Fetti or is it having to move Conklin or Berton? That, that's, that's what decides next. So I don't think they're gonna cut a Fetti today because you don't know. But in a week or a month. If the tackles are healthy, then either a Fetti or Hudson's not on the team. So, do you think that because I've seen that they starting the year off with Mike Hall Junior on the commissioner list? Do you think a defensive tackle benefits from that or do you think somebody on the offensive line? I think a defensive tackle has to benefit from it because you have Tomlinson coming off the injury too, so probably can't count on him plan. And then the next guy would be Briggs who body tight position wise is more like Tomlinson. Anyway, Paul is that pass rusher? Hall Maurice? Hi, Shelby Harris. They're kind of the same guy. And then, you know, Briggs is that other guy. So I think Briggs might make the team anyway. I know when they drafted him in the seventh round, like multiple teams called and we're like, screw you guys. We were about to take him like they, they wanted them and the Browns doubled back on the position, right? Some of it was just for the off season. They were a little worried about Tomlinson. They know those guys are older but they really thought, hey, we're in the seventh round and like this guy can, this guy is a good player. They got him. He was, he was an older prospect, you know, he wasn't like super big to be drafted early, but especially because I think they knew it wasn't gonna work with IA, they said, why, why wouldn't we take this stab? And it looks like he's gonna be on the team and IA is gone. So you had projected 11 I believe on the defensive line including Briggs. So obviously, Hall is not gonna be there. Who's the next guy who, who is the next one? Well, Sam, Sam Ker has been waved but he would come off the squad. I traded Chris Williams, you know, I think I will stay on the practice squad and keep developing him guys. This is what a crap shoot the draft is, right. Dean Jones has a super high ceiling and we know might be a star starter and star here for years, right? They took IA in front of him, then they waited in an offensive tackle, went right in front of him who might never play for the Colts. So you just never know right in the history of the Browns, we can go by and say, oh, they could have had this guy, but sometimes it works in your favor too and like imagine being in that draft room and saying we're going to take SIA IA he showed up. I mean, that's just Jim Schwartz coming in and having the power and saying I watched Lester's film guys and you got to get me some warm body and that's what they did. And uh it is amazing and the Browns over the years have done such a terrible job drafting. Obviously, overall, they've done much better with Andrew Berry, but everybody makes, what about, uh, miles hard? He's been like the story of the, hold on. We gotta stick position groups here. Well, I think, especially if my call is not gonna be eligible for the 53. Then I think you have your 10, I think you have your, your five rusher, your five interior guys and then you just kind of sort it out for me. Do you think Dalvin Tomlinson is going to be ready to go? Week one? I think they hoped so. We will believe, I mean, that guy is a really good player in obviously for this defense, right? Miles being out of this world and Denzel being who he is, that's the keys. But I think for this defense to be great, I think Delpit and Tomlinson have to be healthy because I think that's what helps this defense really get to that next level. All right. So let's go to the secondary. Go ahead. Miles hard. Is he gonna make this? He's right at the bottom of the bubble. I think so. Yes, corner is a big money position these days. So, well, they got Cam Cam Mitchell but they don't know what's happening with Newsom after this year. Cam Mitchell came into camp hurt. And if you can find a guy in the seventh round that you think might be your slot corner in a year or two. I think you hang on to him. What is Denzel War's situation? Now? Do we know if he's gonna play week one? Don't know. I mean, listen, he's shown no desire to quit and it was two full weeks ago, um, three days after it happened, he was running around on the field playing catch. So I'm not trying to be a neurologist here. Obviously, it's scary. It's his fifth known concussion in, in seven years. So that, that's scary. But sometimes when a guy gets him, we don't see him for three weeks. And last year when Denzel got it in the preseason finale, we didn't see him at all until the Thursday before the first game. I just take it as a good sign that he's out there running around in a joint practice. What about Justin Hardy in that corner back room? I know you got universal teams. A how does he kind of fit into the mix? It's an interesting one because he's not really a corner. Like if he's playing corner, you're now, that's a position where you look and say we have to have an emergency plan, but they signed him because he's a pro bowl special teams player. He had 600,000 in guaranteed money if he's healthy. I think he's probably on the team. So then is it Miles Harden? Is it that extra offensive lineman? Where are you skimping on a guy, uh, to make room for, for Justin Hardy who's only going to play special teams for you and a follow up on that, they may only keep two tight ends. Is that a position by not getting that third tight end on the active roster that you can fit a Hardy or an extra offensive lineman. Like, is that one of the ones we're looking at as a it is, it is, can't ever go to a game without a third tight end. So, but you can look on the waiver wire tomorrow, you can look at other teams practice squads and do that, but they easily could have two tight ends on this 53 and all the way through next Sunday because there's just, they only have two NFL tight ends on the team right now. This is obvious, but for the record, they're gonna carry three quarterbacks on the 53. That's always been the plan barring barring something else because they got away with one. Right. I, I guess two Flacco and PJ were both peace squad guys. So where's the trim if you're going to carry three on the 53 where's the spot that you're losing that they have? That depends on five or six wide receivers for five or six defensive tackles. But until you know, your starting quarterback is fully healthy and can take all the reps, you have to have three. Is it, do they still keep five safeties? That's been the, that I said I could see them going down before because traditionally it's four and six. That's a tricky. One time is for two reasons. One, Ronnie Hickman looked really like a good find last year and he just not been healthy this whole camp. And then the guy he was passing last year, the Anthony Bell. We didn't see it all in camp. He just passed his physical yesterday. So they passed his physical. He goes back on the active. Now, does he get cut today and then move to the practice squad or does he play? He's another guy who's a really good special team. It might be Bell. It might be that fifth safety versus that guy who's a corner, who's, who's not really a corner would be, make it through to pre I think somebody would pick him up. That's a great question. Not having seen him in camp. I don't know, he's an older guy. He's not really, he's only a special teams guy. Now, there's always a question with this new kickoff rule, is it really gonna affect the bottom of rosters? And we don't know that and I don't think we'll know that until after tomorrow when guys get win. And that's why the ricci thing hurt the Browns in multiple ways. He was your third tight end. The O line was so bad in the joint practices. He had to play full back and he was gonna be on all the first special teams and then you lose him for the year. So then you don't have a third tight end at all. You don't have a full back at all. And now you have a guy who you could count on for at least three or four kick teams is not there. I'm gonna hurt Tyra's feelings. The kickoff is stupid. Start at the 30 let's go abolish the kickoff, abolish. I don't know that a change is coming now. Jason but I mean, wherever next year's NFL owners meetings are probably worse. Did you, did you disagree and hitting 20 by the way, I appreciate you having my back. He agreed with me. Oh, I thought he said he was, no, I don't say put it at the 30. I'm saying that there's a chance this rule is one of, I don't think they're taking the kick off out of it. Obviously not on August. You can speak to this. The players association wants to kick off in the game. It's creating jobs for guys. Exactly the same jobs as punt team. Not if you go down to one team that I got to make this. If I go down there and make a tackle inside to 20 on kickoff, I pay me the whole idea is it, it's dumb. Just start at the I don't care. 25 30 25. So you, you mean to tell me when you football back when everything was good that opening kickoff didn't do something to you the Super bowl and that was what I just heard. The opening kickoff. Never. It didn't shoot stuff. Do you like? It was cool. What are yall dead? Yes. I think talk about the sacrifice. You don't know what it is for the stupidity of what we're seeing now. You don't know what it's like to get, they get a bottle like this and they get like 10 smelling salts and put it in there and they say hit that right before kick off. You don't know what it's like to run down an open and kick off. They can never get rid of it. That, that's different that Jason, by the way, how often do you screw up when you're texting Zach Misl and Zach Jackson because they spelled Zach differently. I don't think I've ever crossed. No, I think I know I'm very good at texting Zach, uh, linebacker, obviously Hicks and Jok, you have Tony Fields, Devin Bush and the abate is the other three and he changes there. I, you know, Watson, it comes back to the discussion. He's a draft pick right when they picked him, they, they really liked him, but he missed the back half of camp. So not seeing him enough. It was hard for me to put him on there. I am I wrong? I don't know. I didn't think Bush was gonna make it, but I think he's really good on. You. Didn't think Devin Bush was gonna make it but he's really good on special at the end, two minutes at the end for, I want to ask him your nutty thing for. I know you got a lot of the, uh, getting back to running back. He's the reason he's available. What's your best guess as to when Nick Chub plays his first game? Probably like late October, probably like week seven ish. I think that'd be my ballpark now, Mike. I didn't really think this through Mike. What did you say earlier about all of his incentives are based on 12 games. His incentives are based on playing 12 games. Week seven would, would only get him 11 games playing 12 games or being active for 12 games active for 12. I mean, look when he comes back, I mean, they're going to give him the ball but I don't think they're going to give him the ball 20 times. They barely did it when he was. Oh my God. We got to hear about that time. The ball. It was, you get the ball 20 times 20 times if you win. The vision is those December games, Nick Chubb is your closer, Nick chub and Miles Garrett obviously, is your closers. How, how are you feeling about Deshaun Watson right now? Uh, camp was so bad, boy, so bad and, and not many other people are saying that like then they didn't watch camp, they didn't have the line, there was three days that all the receivers were in actual team drills. I get it. He goes back in seven on seven and he holds the ball seven on seven type of, well, he always did that. We went against him when we were, when I was in San Francisco for joint practice. And it was funny because we was watching the tape and he was standing there just like this, he didn't bounce or nothing. He just stood there and we like, that's not a, it's not gonna happen in the game. So, so I, I have a level of trust in sta fans to put together a plan. I do believe that there's still a good player in there, but I see a lot of bad throws and I don't see a lot of confidence is that a big part. I mean, the confidence has got to be a big part of this. Gotta be, it's something, I mean, it's just you better figure he had two weeks to figure it out. What you talking about Dallas game, he better Dallas offensive line is a disaster. So maybe we're gonna have a defensive game these first eight quarters against Dallas and Jacksonville. This is a high level of games for the Browns. So just be one on one figure out what you're good at what you're bad at what you need to build on and go from there. What happened in that last preseason game? Like what happened that he was going to play that he wasn't going to play. I mean, do we know the real story that, you know, I know the coach said there was a plan to play. So they listen, I would have, I would have backtracked it too given the O line situation, but I mean, there's no way you could watch the joint practices, let alone watch the film of them 60 times like Stefanski does and say this offense is, is ready to roll out. So the defense is going to have to think 30 of the 32 quarterbacks played in the preseason. I thought it was 26 but it could have been 30 a lot. Most of them, I thought it was 2532. Yeah, but you knew Aaron Rodgers wouldn't play. Um, there were a couple of others who didn't but Mahomes played, I know Burrough played Jordan did Lamar play. Lamar didn't play. That's right. No, but he's a guy I understand not playing, you know, I mean, he's not coming off an injury last year. Lamar played more games from October 1st to January 20th last year than Deshawn's played since 2020. So it is, it's weird but I don't know, it is what it is said that last week this whole thing is weird and you got a lot of backlash, you got a lot of, I got so many lashes on that background. You know, if Ken Dorsey is going to be up in the booth or on the field. I think he's going to be on the field. That's where a VP was. I think that's, I, I don't know. II, I, he's the quarterback's coach so that makes the most, you know, but some offensive coordinators that don't call, plays are up in the booth. I mean, these are things you work out when you change your staff and, and, and look like, even if you just had him in there for two drafts, you would have had him in the huddle, you would have had guys line up like that stuff matters. If it doesn't matter, then why do we have training camp? Right? That's fair. So it doesn't mean that the, the season's gonna go one way or another, but I cannot imagine that this Browns offense is gonna be Gangbusters, right? So you think it's gonna, you think this is one of those years that it takes this offense a while, a couple of games? And what I've seen from the offense type is it's to protect Deshaun, it's get it rid of it super quickly. Everything horizontal. Who are you predicting to win? The AFC North? The Bengals? I think they're the only team that can win the AFC. That's not the Chiefs. I think they're the best team in the AFC North if they're healthy. Uh So the nutty thing, it's a perfect time to bring it up, Jason when Bull said, I think it was last week. The Prescott thing, if Deshaun flames out again this year, he would go after d, even though financially it would be nearly impossible. But Jimmy doesn't see the one thing I give credit for, he don't care about money, he'll spend whatever I got the money. But in theory, if you could make the money work, I don't think that's crazy. Dak is a great quarterback. I think if it goes wrong this year you have your final answer. That's 100% right. You got to have 80 million. That's the part you got to figure out. I don't disagree with finding an exit strategy. I've said that it's this year, but I think Thanksgiving this year, we're going to have our answer. Let me ask you this. If Dak were on this team right now, would you think they could win the Super Bowl? There you go. Well, obviously they've had this in their plans because when we were talking about at the end of the season, when they asked A B about extending the, what we call it Deshawn's money, he said, we don't really want to go into that renegotiating. I asked him at the combine, do you have to restructure, restructure? He said, not necessarily. And then he quickly looked to find another question because he didn't want to have it. They have restructure, they used other methods. They have 30 million in free. And I think, I think that's noteworthy that they did not restructure it is, but it also, you can see it both ways. The Eagles have 90 million in dead money sitting for Jalen hurts that they're going to tackle when it comes down to it, but they feel like Jalen Hurts is gonna be their quarterback forever and the Browns have to operate like Deshaun Watson's quarterback forever, but at some point in this season and not in the Dallas game. Right. And not in the first base, not far after we're probably going to have our answer. If this team has good quarterback play in good health, they can be really good. If this team does not get good quarterback play this year, then this thing borders on disaster because you have a really good team. That's right. That's why you can't wait for a rookie or anything like that, you know, I mean, that's, I understand that's probably not realistic and they'll probably resign him, but I would do it if I, if there was some possible way. All right. Oh, that was the crazy. I was gonna say anything else nutty that I've said recently, Mike, there's a lot of nutty things. You said, John Kinsey Noel Zach. If a team called the Browns and offered a third round pick for Jameis Winston, would the Browns say yes. But, ok, I said, I said, I said I wouldn't do it because I'm trying to win a Super Bowl this year. And I also said it's an unrealistic question because no team would ever do that. So, it was an hypothetic, what is the most value they could get on the open market for Jameis right now? Probably no reason to do that. Now, see, I thought a four would be some that's three and O loses their starter to a freak injury in three weeks then more than that. But today. So, what's the fate of, what's, yeah, what's the fate of Tyler Huntley? I mean, he would be a vested veteran. He would just be released if he doesn't make this team or get traded for a seven or a, he, yeah, he ain't making it, but he's on a minimum contract. Nobody wanted it. That's how they got it. He didn't have any other offer a week. I think he's very good, but Justin Hardy got more guaranteed than Tyler Huntley did. I can't imagine there's 90 quarterbacks in the NFL better than him. I don't like him. There's stuff that goes into it. I mean, you got a fine job as Lamar's backup and they let him walk. Nobody else. That's fair. 627. See, like he's not, probably you could do better as a backup, but you wouldn't want him as your third project, your project quarter. So he's kind of in that. Is that fair? Yeah, I mean, and I think that's why he's still there for three weeks of free agency. I would think a team with a running quarterback would want him as a backup but who knows? I think the Browns handled it right. And like I said, and I don't think there's any reason not barring a crazy offer to entertain trading Jamis or doing anything. They were willing to move DTR for the right price. If he's on the team, it means they didn't get the right price. Or in the, in this, the conversations you have on August 14th change by the time this day rolls around because it's about availability and especially for the Browns, you know, some teams, the Titans, the Patriots, the Panthers, they're looking at this waiver wire saying we can get better for the long term. The Browns are saying we need guys to try to be better than one and one. That's right. We gotta beat Dallas to start the season. Zach. Great stuff, man. Thanks for coming in. That was great insight on the roster and then the final decisions we made this afternoon, you could, you could read Zach's stuff on the athletic if you want, make sure you follow him at Akron Zach on Twitter and Zach. Thanks for coming in. We