5 Browns Players To Watch During Preseason Finale vs Patriots

The preseason is almost in the books for the Cleveland Browns, who will get a final look at their roster on Thursday Night Football against the New England Patriots.

Neither head coach Todd Monken or Mike Vrabel will start their first-stringers, so this is a matchup that will highlight the depth of each roster and position battles still finalizing late into the summer.

Let’s take a look at a few Browns players to watch and why they matter for Cleveland’s preseason finale against New England.

Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green, QBs

Even though Deshaun Watson was named Cleveland’s starting quarterback with Shedeur Sanders as the backup, there’s still two more passers on the roster. And there’s plenty of intrigue on how the rest of this room will shake loose.

Will the Browns really roster four quarterbacks? Would they release Gabriel, a top 100 pick last year? Could they dare expose Green to waivers, especially understanding that an AFC North foe was planning on scooping him up in Round 6?

Gabriel gets the start, and needs to prove any semblance of an ability to push the football downfield. If he can’t, the hopes of being a long-term backup in the NFL will dwindle. Green will play the second half as a way bigger question mark. His athleticism is off the charts, but will he look refined as a serious quarterback in an NFL setting?

Parker Brailsford, C

Brailsford’s preseason was derailed by injury. The fifth-round pick was competing for Cleveland’s starting center job, but Elgton Jenkins claimed it as the youngster missed too much time.

Will Brailsford look small against New England’s backup defensive line? His size was the lone red flag coming out of Alabama.

Luke Floriea, WR

Cleveland’s coaching staff has been impressed with Floriea, who has worked his tail off since arriving in Berea as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State last season.

The local Mentor High School product has an opportunity to win Cleveland’s last receiver spot, as Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Isaiah Bond and Tylan Wallace are very likely to make this roster. Floriea is competing with Cedric Tillman, Malachi Corley and Gage Larvadain for that final spot – but whoever gets released would certainly have a home on the practice squad.

Michael Coats Jr., CB

The impressive undrafted free agent cornerback put together a tremendous training camp, but needed helped off the practice field on Tuesday. There hasn’t been an update, and there’s uncertainty if Coats will play.

If he does, he has a strong opportunity to lock up a roster spot. Even if he doesn’t play, pay attention to other cornerback depth like Tre Avery who needs a strong showing to make this roster behind Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell.

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