The Cleveland Browns have a stacked roster with high expectations going into the 2021 season. With that in mind, the team has been protective of many of its starters and key contributors. They have also been cautious with any injury, trying to protect players from turning a minor injury into a major one.
Based on statements from head coach Kevin Stefanski, some of that changes Sunday night against the Atlanta Falcons as Cleveland plays some of their starters including Baker Mayfield.
Like every decision, this one comes with risks and rewards. The team is hoping that the reward of making sure players don’t get rusty and have a chance to work on their timing is worth the risk of injury.
With the risk of injury greater in games, whether it is preseason or the regular season, it got us thinking about what players are most important for the 2021 season.
For this list, we took into account talent, positional value and depth on the roster. For example, the wide receiver group does not have a player on the list due to the overwhelming depth, along with Odell Beckham Jr.’s return from injury.
We also only took into account the 2021 season so age, development and contract status did not play a role.
With the team’s top players expected to play Sunday night, who are the top ten the team could ill afford to lose to injury?