4 Cleveland Browns who could be playing their final games with franchise
Report: Browns players who are ruled out and will not return in 2024.
These four players could be nearing the end of their tenure with the Cleveland Browns as the end of the 2023 campaign approaches
With just over a month and a half to go in the regular season, the Cleveland Browns find themselves in the midst of a playoff race. They’ve been dealt a tough hand as they’ve battled through one injury after another. Not only have they already lost Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson, and Jack Conklin but they also have Denzel Ward and Myles Garrett dealing with shoulder injuries (although Garrett’s is thankfully not considered serious).
Despite all of the injuries, this team continues to fight hard. They suffered a brutal loss in Week 12 but had pulled off three wins in a row before that. This is a testament to the depth this roster has — as well as the belief they have in one another. Of course, in the NFL, even when a team is clicking the way this one is, their rosters don’t stay the same for long. With that being said, here are four players who might be entering their final weeks with the Browns.
4. Harrison Bryant, TE
A former fourth-round pick out of Florida Atlantic, Harrison Bryant has had an up-and-down tenure with the Browns. He was a solid TE3 early in his career but then struggled in the TE2 role in 2022. This year, he’s been on the field a lot, even with the arrival of Jordan Akins.
He hasn’t been targeted much though, with just 10 passes being thrown his way thus far. He’s been able to haul in half of those but has just 12 yards. He does, however, have two touchdowns. Bryant has also been used on quarterback sneaks when less than a yard is needed.
Despite the fact that he’s been trusted in the red zone and on fourth downs, it’s highly unlikely Bryant will return in 2024. He hasn’t exactly played himself into a large contract but Cleveland can still replace him with someone who makes less money in the later rounds of the draft.
3. Marquise Goodwin, WR
After two years, it was painfully clear that Anthony Schwartz was never going to turn into the deep threat the Browns hoped he would become. He had all the speed to get deep but his route running and inconsistent hands wound up being his demise. That’s why Andrew Berry went out and signed veteran Marquise Goodwin.A former Olympian, Goodwin was 32 when signed but still could stretch a defense. And unlike Schwartz, he’s a polished route-runner as well. Cleveland had big plans for him in this offense but after 11 games, he hasn’t been able to produce much of anything.
Goodwin, who hasn’t played since suffering a concussion against the Cardinals in Week 9, has 10 yards on three receptions and 33 yards on four rushing attempts. At this point, it’s safe to say this signing hasn’t worked out as planned.
Not all of that is on Goodwin since he was sidelined for much of the preseason with blood clots in his legs and lungs. The offense has also had to deal with a revolving door at quarterback as well. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s now working through his concussion.
With all of that being said, Goodwin is likely going to be one-and-done in Cleveland. They tried to get someone who could be a deep threat but again, it didn’t work. Now, they’ll probably try again in the 2024 offseason, with the draft being the most likely place to look.
An eight-year veteran, Harris has never been a superstar but he’s a very talented defensive tackle. He brought over plenty of experience with 98 appearances and 64 starts under his belt. With the Browns, he’s played in all 11 games and while he’s been credited with just three starts, he’s been a consistent member of their defensive line rotation.
As is often the case with the big guys in the middle, Harris does a lot of the dirty work and doesn’t fill up the stat sheet. So far, he has 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He’s also shown plenty of awareness by batting down four passes at the line of scrimmage.
While his work in pestering quarterbacks is a huge plus, Harris has also been adept at stopping the run. This was a huge area of concern in 2022, and Harris is one of the primary reasons they’ve been better in 2023. Despite this, he might not be back in 2024.
Harris was signed since Siaki Ika wasn’t ready for a large role in this defense. But with the rookie getting a full season of practice under his belt, the Browns will surely give him every opportunity to see more snaps in 2024. On top of that, they likely would spend any money available for a veteran defensive lineman on either Jordan Elliott or Maurice Hurst, who are both younger than Harris.
1. Kareem Hunt, RB
Never say never, especially since we thought this was true last year, but this feels like it’s the end of the line for Kareem Hunt. The 2017 NFL rushing yardage leader made good on his second chance with his hometown team. He had four years behind Nick Chubb and was allowed to hit the open market in 2023.
Hunt took several visits but in the end, he started the regular season without a team. Then, Chubb suffered his devastating knee injury and the Browns reached out to Hunt. He wound up re-signing and has carved out a role as the veteran backup and short-yardage back.
As we head into Week 13, Hunt has 286 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers are decent for a backup running back but he still averages a mere 3.2 yards per attempt. He’s clearly lost a step and his vision in Week 12 was concerning as he seemed to run straight into traffic even if there was a hole.
When the 2024 season kicks off, Hunt will be 28 and that’s an age where running backs tend to drop off — which is even more concerning given his lack of burst this year. That’s why it seems unlikely he will be back again. Hunt deserves a lot of praise for what he did for the Browns but it’s time to get some more pop in the backfield.
