In Week 2 of the preseason, the starters for the Cleveland Browns got a lot of work in joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday, and the second and third-string guys fighting for a roster spot will get a ton of game action on Saturday. The Browns' backups put on a really strong performance in Carolina last week, but there are two guys who must perform well again to have a shot at making this roster.
Player No. 1 to watch – Ahmani Marshall, Running Back
With Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson as “all but in” guys on the roster, there is only one active spot left, which is between Pierre Strong Jr. and Ahmani Marshall. Strong has missed so much time with injuries that an impressive performance again today for Marshall could help him leap Strong on final roster cuts.
Last week, Marshall had 8 carries for 32 yards, but he showed a lot of quickness and toughness running the ball that jumped out of the TV as you watched him. The undrafted rookie from Appalachian State didn’t have a ton of college production with only 1,288 yards over five seasons with two different teams, but he seems to have a ton of energy in the tank and is exciting to watch.
The bad news for Marshall is that we can’t forget that Quinshon Judkins' signing could be looming as well. After some off-field issues, there is speculation that a deal could happen sooner or later, which would likely push Marshall’s best chance at this roster on the practice squad.
Player No. 2 to watch – Nathaniel Watson, Linebacker
As a 2024 sixth-round pick, Nathaniel Watson's Browns career has already had ups and downs as he has been waived once already. Watson will certainly get a lot of reps at linebacker today vs. the Eagles, but he needs to jump off the charts on special teams. After a fumble recovery last week, another big play coverage could seal his fate.
Remember, Devin Bush has some legal questions, and we’ve yet to see a lot of Mohamoud Diabate because of an injury. Not to mention that Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has already been ruled out for the season.
Those items should help Watson, but he'd better hope the newly signed Titus Leo doesn’t completely ball out and take his spot.