Cleveland Browns preseason – Syndication Server

Browns final 53-man roster projection after the preseason

Our Jeff Risdon with his post-preseason prediction of the initial Browns 53-man roster

Now that the preseason is over, Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry and his staff have the unenviable task of trimming the team’s roster from 80 to 53.

Following Sunday night’s exhibition game in Atlanta, the Browns have about 40 hours before the NFL’s deadline at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31st. There are some tough decisions to be made at several roster spots.

Here is my final projection. Note that this is just for the initial 53 on the roster after the first cutdown deadline. Expect changes, be it players who make the cut going on I.R. or waiver claims, on Wednesday that shake up at least three of the spots here.

Joe Thomas will be a Browns color analyst on preseason games

Legendary left tackle Joe Thomas will pair with Tom McCarthy to call the Browns preseason games

You can take the Browns uniform off legendary left tackle Joe Thomas, but you can’t take away his love for the only NFL team the future Hall of Famer ever played for. Thomas remains close to the organization three years after his injury0induced retirement, and he’s now going to be offering his unique insight during preseason game broadcasts.

Thomas will be an in-game color analyst for the Browns preseason broadcasts, the team announced. He’ll pair with play-by-play man Tom McCarthy in calling the games, with Nathan Zegura returning to his role as a sideline reporter.

“It gives me chills just thinking about being back in Cleveland and being able to call the Browns’ preseason games,” said Thomas via cleveland.com. “This team, this city and these fans have all had a huge impact on my life, and being paired with a veteran broadcaster like Tom McCarthy just adds to the excitement. The Browns accomplished some great things last year, and I’m looking forward to being there as they build on that success for 2021.”

Thomas has experience in the booth with the NFL Network, where he has worked on Thursday Night Football broadcasts as well as studio shows. It will be great to hear No. 73 offering his analysis on the Browns.

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Local Cleveland channel to broadcast classic Browns games in lieu of no preseason

It beats not having any football to watch

This would have been the week of the third Cleveland Browns preseason game. It’s left a void in the traditional summer viewing habits for football fans. That hole is also prominent in the team’s broadcast partners and their scheduling.

Hoping to fill that void, WEWS TV, Channel 5 in Cleveland, is going to air some Browns classics instead. Mike Mossholder of the Haslam Sports Group revealed the news and the games in a press release,

“While there are no preseason games this year, we are thrilled to provide Browns fans this unique opportunity to relive memorable games and moments from past seasons. Along with ‘Building the Browns’ and ‘Browns Countdown,’ we look forward to continuing to offer fans exceptional programming on News 5 that provides them more access to the team as excitement continues to build for the upcoming season.”

The series started with Cleveland’s win over the Atlanta Falcons from 2002 that clinched the team’s only playoff berth in the 21st century. Upcoming on the docket:

Baker Mayfield’s debut against the New York Jets from 2018
The blowout win over the defending champion Giants in Week 6 of 2008

Classic Browns football is better than no preseason football!

NFL cancels preseason games, reduces training camp rosters to 80 players

There will be no preseason football for the NFL in 2020. The exhibition season is the latest sporting victim of the COVID-19 pandemic and response.

The NFL and NFLPA agreed to cancel the exhibition season on Tuesday after both sides concluded that the logistics and risks of exhibition games would not help advance the goal of starting the regular season on time. The NFLPA informed players of the changes in a conference call on Tuesday, according to Mike Jones of USA TODAY Sports.

In addition to the elimination of the exhibition season, the two sides agreed to reduce the roster size for training camps to just 80 players. It is regularly 90, but concerns over distancing, testing and other issues led to the roster reduction. It’s a significant blow for undrafted rookies and guys battling for league exposure.

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Report: NFL will cancel half the preseason schedule

The Browns lose a home game against Tampa Bay and a road date in Chicago

Numerous reports, including those from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert and Pro Football Talk, indicate the NFL is canceling half of the traditional 4-game preseason schedule. The exhibition games are the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.

The reports indicate the league is trimming off the first and last weeks of the preseason schedule. For the Browns, that means a road trip to Chicago and a home date with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will no longer happen. The August 22nd game in Green Bay and the home contest with the Minnesota Vikings on August 30th are still set to run as scheduled.

In addition, the teams will travel the day before the games instead of heading in earlier. Joint practice sessions, a growing feature in recent years, were one of the first things the NFL cancelled earlier this offseason.