It has been about 100 days since some players on the Browns’ roster reported to rookie minicamp in mid-May, and now their immediate future in the NFL has come down to the final preseason game of the summer.
Attention will focus on how Deshaun Watson and the other starters perform in the 20 or so plays they are in the game with the Chiefs on Aug. 26, but their jobs are safe. The afternoon is far more important to the players on the proverbial bubble — players such as undrafted linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, second-year wide receiver David Bell, third-year defensive tackle Tommy Togiai, third-year running back Demetric Felton and others.
Kickoff is 1 p.m. The game will be televised on WEWS Channel 5 in Cleveland.
“The evaluation is global,” Coach Kevin Stefanski said. “It takes everything into account. The games are always a big part of it. But this evaluation goes all the way back to April as well, from the second we got our guys in the building to all the things we’ve been doing throughout the spring and summer.”
Stefanski and General Manager Andrew Berry must decide how many wide receivers to keep. Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman are locks to make the team. It gets a little fuzzy after that with Bell, Anthony Schwartz and Austin Watkins fighting for two spots. Marquise Goodwin would be in the mix, too, but he will begin the season on the non-football injury list as he continues to recover from blood clots in his lungs and legs.
“I think it’s a great problem to have when you’re talking about guys at the end of that roster where, hey, we got four spots for these five guys, or these six means there are really tough decisions that’ll have to be made,” Stefanski said. “Andrew and I spend a lot of time talking about those decisions. I trust him with all those decisions. I think we’ll be well informed, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”
Jakeem Grant Jr., a return specialist, can play wide receiver. Grant will return kicks and punts against the Chiefs, Stefanski said. It will be Grant’s first game action since tearing his right Achilles tendon during training camp last summer.
Diabate, an undrafted rookie who transferred to Utah for his senior year after starting his college career at Florida, is intriguing. He tackled Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell for a safety last week and later in the same game forced a fumble. He is listed third on the depth chart at middle linebacker behind Anthony Walker and Jordan Kunaszyk.
Diabate was not invited to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine because he was recovering from a torn meniscus.
“Diabate is a physical tackler with a pretty good feel for sifting through the trash to find the ball between the tackles,” the predraft NFL.com scouting report said. “However, when plays flow wide or he needs to play with agility and pursuit speed, the level of play consistency can take a tumble. The instincts and recognition are just average and he’s a better rusher than cover man against the pass. Diabate has an outside shot of competing for a roster spot.”
The Browns signed Diabate as an undrafted rookie within hours after the draft ended. Diabate said he was surprised he wasn’t drafted and admitted knowing nothing about the Browns before they offered him a contract.
“He’s a very active player, sideline-to-sideline,” Stefanski said. “You love ball-aware players. You love guys that can knock the ball out, and he certainly did that.
“He’s really taken the practice field to the game field. This is the part of training camp and the part of our business where we continue to get young players reps and ultimately make really tough decisions later on.”
Diabate plays kick coverage on special teams, which is always important for a player trying to earn a roster spot.
Browns at Chiefs
When: 1 p.m., Aug. 26
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
Records: Browns 1-1-1, Chiefs 1-1
TV: WEWS; Radio: WKRK-FM 92.3, WNCX-FM 98.5, WKNR-AM 850
