The Cleveland Browns put out their unofficial depth chart for the preseason opener. The emphasis is on the “unofficial”.
Based on what we’ve seen at the first two weeks of training camp, I’ve decided to make a few adjustments…
First, the depth chart produced by the Browns PR department — good people given a thankless task to ease the workload on the coaching staff by doing these every week:
Now for the alterations to make it a little more accurate to what we are seeing in practice sessions.
Right guard
The most noticeable change is here. Austin Corbett is listed as the starter, but he has not received first-team reps in the last two practices. That’s part of the competition and rotation, and Corbett still could very well wind up winning the job. But right now Eric Kush is getting the most first-team reps.
Corbett and Kush, who appears as the backup center, should be swapped.
Too many LBs
I’ve been at three practice sessions so far and watched a recording of the Orange and Brown scrimmage. In all that time I’ve seen less than 10 reps of base defense where three LBs were on the field.
No offense to Ray-Ray Armstrong, who has looked good in his chances, but it’s disingenuous to label him as a starter. The “SAM” position simply does not exist in Steve Wilks’ defense as more than a situational sub.
Jermaine Whitehead is the closest thing to the SAM that exists. He’s on the field more than he is not in the base defense as a third safety, serving as a hybrid LB/S with some slot coverage duties in for good measure.
Backup OT
Kendall Lamm is listed as the second-string right tackle, while Brad Seaton holds that spot on the left side. In Monday’s practice, Seaton took all of his snaps at right tackle. I’ve not seen Lamm take a single snap at right tackle. Again, I’ve not seen every practice, but in those I have, even in positional drills Lamm has worked exclusively on the left.
Orson Charles at FB
This is a little nit-picky, but the Browns use a fullback about as often as a vegan prepares a turducken. Charles belongs with the tight ends.
Those tight ends are complicated by injuries to Demetrius Harris and Seth DeValve. When healthy, Harris is the clear-cut No. 2. Charles, Pharaoh Brown and a healthy DeValve are too tough to sort at this point after Brown’s very good performances in the last two sessions.
