Recent intriguing draft pick by the Browns leads pack of players that could be cut in August

We are at a point where we are less than a month until the Cleveland Browns begin preparation for the 2024 season with training camp beginning.

Cleveland has made it through the obstacle course of the offseason with free agency, the NFL Draft, and OTAs all in the rearview mirror.

Before we know it, the Browns will be trimming down their roster at the end of the preseason to begin the real thing. Today, I will be looking at three cut candidates as I see it for the Browns.

DT Siaki Ika

Cleveland was terrible at stopping the run in 2022 so they went out and refined the interior of the defensive line in 2023. It paid off for them but one guy that was supposed to come in and be an eventual run plugger was Ika, who was just unable to do that.

Ika was a healthy scratch for most of the season until Maurice Hurst went down with an injury, then was not very good in limited playing time. Ika played 100 defensive snaps and did not record a single statistic for Cleveland.

The former third-round pick was very heavy coming into the NFL and tested poorly athletically at the combine. If Ika is being blown off the ball during training camp like he was last season, Cleveland could move on after a year. If it comes down to keeping Maurice Hurst or Ika, I think you have to go with Hurst.

QB Tyler Huntley

Cleveland went out and added two veteran backup quarterbacks this offseason with two already on the roster. The hope is that the Browns can finally have Watson for a full season, but recent history shows that they have to be ready for a backup quarterback to play a significant role for them.

Huntley gives the Browns another competent quarterback that has plenty of experience. However, the Browns are not keeping four quarterbacks and his roster spot is a battle with second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The Browns don’t usually give up on draft picks this early. They could look to trade Huntley, but we will have to wait to see.

S D’Anthony Bell

Bell is a cool story for the Browns because he’s appeared in 33 games over the last two seasons after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Last season for the Browns, he had his first two interceptions of his career and forced a fumble.

The Browns kept Ronnie Hickman on the 53-man last year as well as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State. The upside that Hickman showed as a rookie at times was promising and may lead the Browns to keep just four safeties this season. If that is the case, I’m giving the nod to Hickman to join Grant Delpit, Juan Thornhill, and Rodney McLeod.

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