Tag: Rashard Higgins

Fantasy football gamble of the week: Week 10

Returning from the bye week, can this Cleveland Brown step up once again in place of Odell Beckham Jr.?

Every week, at least one player becomes my fascination of whether he’s worthy of a fantasy football start or bench. The decision can be a mental wrestling match, but for the purpose of brevity, only one player can be chosen as the fantasy football gamble of the week.

The best fantasy football gamble for Week 10

Tracking my predictions: 4-4-1
Win: Player produces ≥ 80% of projected fantasy points
Loss: Player produces >80% of projected fantasy points
Tie: Player is ejected or leaves with an injury

I couldn’t find a single player last week that deserved more than a lukewarm endorsement, so I settled on Seattle Seahawks TE Greg Olsen. Right position on the team, wrong player … Jacob Hollister, not Olsen, was the primary beneficiary of the matchup and situation, marking the first time all season in this space that my recommendations were wrong in consecutive weeks.

Rather than play it safe to avoid making it a hat trick of consecutively terrible calls, I’m going to place my bet on game flow and situational football taking over.

Cleveland Browns WR Rashard Higgins vs. Houston Texans

When the Browns lost Odell Beckham Jr. (knee) for the season in Week 7, Higgins stepped in cold and picked up the slack. He finished with six targets, as many receptions, and 110 yards. OBJ wasn’t heavily involved in the offense to begin with, and this is a run-heavy system, so we’re not looking at a massive volume of work to replace. That must be recognized off the bat — and it was, in part, on display in Week 8 when Higgins had the lineup spot all to himself. He saw three targets vs. Las Vegas, landing one for 14 yards. It’s difficult to matter much when your team passes 25 times.

In Week 9, the Browns were on bye and had the time make the necessary adjustments that could benefit Higgins. Another factor working in his favor is the expected return of running back Nick Chubb, because his explosive nature keeps defenses honest, whereas Kareem Hunt is more of a grinding style of player who doesn’t necessarily scare defensive coordinators with the prospects of ripping off a massive run each time he touches the ball.

Tight end Austin Hooper also is poised to return after missing action due to an appendectomy, and his position faces a bright matchup outlook vs. the Texans. That could potentially work against Higgins’ volume, but it also presents yet another outlet for the defense to focus on.

Higgins, who scored in consecutive games as a role player prior to OBJ going down, has demonstrated chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield in the past. The two hooked up on four touchdowns in 2018, and Higgins amounted to somewhat of a safety blanket for the then-rookie passer during a season in which Jarvis Landry was the top receiver and Beckham wasn’t on the roster. Sound familiar?

Houston has given up the seventh-highest average of PPR points to the position on the season, and in the last five weeks, the number jumps from 41.8 per game to 49.5, which is 30 percent more than the league average. Thirteen receivers in eight contests have posted 10 or more points in reception-rewarding scoring systems, and there have been six individual efforts with at least 75 yards. Ten receivers have produced five or more grabs against this unit.

My biggest concern about this situation is the offense could lean into the positive matchup for the running backs heavier than expected and we see a similar situation as in Week 8, when low volume was a fantasy death knell for Cleveland receivers. The reason why I feel this is mitigated vs. Houston is the Texans have the firepower to keep Cleveland in need of scoring points in a matchup that favors Houston’s aerial game.

In a week where gamers are without Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill and Jamison Crowder, there has to be a willingness to take a chance on an underutilized player with a great matchup and extenuating factors working in his favor. Part of taking that gamble comes with the acceptance that some weeks you’re rolling the dice on modest output and not a game-breaking performance.

My projection: 4 receptions, 63 yards, 1 TD (16.3 PPR points)

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Fantasy football gamble of the week: Week 10

Returning from the bye week, can this Cleveland Brown step up once again in place of Odell Beckham Jr.?

Every week, at least one player becomes my fascination of whether he’s worthy of a fantasy football start or bench. The decision can be a mental wrestling match, but for the purpose of brevity, only one player can be chosen as the fantasy football gamble of the week.

The best fantasy football gamble for Week 10

Tracking my predictions: 4-4-1
Win: Player produces ≥ 80% of projected fantasy points
Loss: Player produces >80% of projected fantasy points
Tie: Player is ejected or leaves with an injury

I couldn’t find a single player last week that deserved more than a lukewarm endorsement, so I settled on Seattle Seahawks TE Greg Olsen. Right position on the team, wrong player … Jacob Hollister, not Olsen, was the primary beneficiary of the matchup and situation, marking the first time all season in this space that my recommendations were wrong in consecutive weeks.

Rather than play it safe to avoid making it a hat trick of consecutively terrible calls, I’m going to place my bet on game flow and situational football taking over.

Cleveland Browns WR Rashard Higgins vs. Houston Texans

When the Browns lost Odell Beckham Jr. (knee) for the season in Week 7, Higgins stepped in cold and picked up the slack. He finished with six targets, as many receptions, and 110 yards. OBJ wasn’t heavily involved in the offense to begin with, and this is a run-heavy system, so we’re not looking at a massive volume of work to replace. That must be recognized off the bat — and it was, in part, on display in Week 8 when Higgins had the lineup spot all to himself. He saw three targets vs. Las Vegas, landing one for 14 yards. It’s difficult to matter much when your team passes 25 times.

In Week 9, the Browns were on bye and had the time make the necessary adjustments that could benefit Higgins. Another factor working in his favor is the expected return of running back Nick Chubb, because his explosive nature keeps defenses honest, whereas Kareem Hunt is more of a grinding style of player who doesn’t necessarily scare defensive coordinators with the prospects of ripping off a massive run each time he touches the ball.

Tight end Austin Hooper also is poised to return after missing action due to an appendectomy, and his position faces a bright matchup outlook vs. the Texans. That could potentially work against Higgins’ volume, but it also presents yet another outlet for the defense to focus on.

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Higgins, who scored in consecutive games as a role player prior to OBJ going down, has demonstrated chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield in the past. The two hooked up on four touchdowns in 2018, and Higgins amounted to somewhat of a safety blanket for the then-rookie passer during a season in which Jarvis Landry was the top receiver and Beckham wasn’t on the roster. Sound familiar?

Houston has given up the seventh-highest average of PPR points to the position on the season, and in the last five weeks, the number jumps from 41.8 per game to 49.5, which is 30 percent more than the league average. Thirteen receivers in eight contests have posted 10 or more points in reception-rewarding scoring systems, and there have been six individual efforts with at least 75 yards. Ten receivers have produced five or more grabs against this unit.

My biggest concern about this situation is the offense could lean into the positive matchup for the running backs heavier than expected and we see a similar situation as in Week 8, when low volume was a fantasy death knell for Cleveland receivers. The reason why I feel this is mitigated vs. Houston is the Texans have the firepower to keep Cleveland in need of scoring points in a matchup that favors Houston’s aerial game.

In a week where gamers are without Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill and Jamison Crowder, there has to be a willingness to take a chance on an underutilized player with a great matchup and extenuating factors working in his favor. Part of taking that gamble comes with the acceptance that some weeks you’re rolling the dice on modest output and not a game-breaking performance.

My projection: 4 receptions, 63 yards, 1 TD (16.3 PPR points)

Fantasy football: 5 sleepers to start, 5 starters to sit in Week 10

Fantasy football sleepers, starts, sits, Week 10.

We’ve hit double-digits in the NFL season as Week 10 is here.

Now more than ever, especially if you’re still alive in the playoff push, setting your lineup correctly for the weekend is a major key in fantasy football. Nothing worse than having a guy on the bench going off or someone in your starting lineup that has laid a dud.

Let us help you right here. Our five sleepers to start and five starters to sit in fantasy football Week 10:

Sleepers to start

Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins. Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

QB Jared Goff, Rams

vs. Seahawks

Jared Goff wasn’t great going into the Rams’ bye last weekend… but we’ve hit the point with the Seahawks defense where we can pretty much start whoever plays against them.

RB Antonio Gibson, Washington

at Lions

With Alex Smith starting, their running backs are going to be elite for fantasy production because he throws to them a lot. The Lions also are the worst defense in terms of fantasy football against opposing running backs, just look at Dalvin Cook last week.

RB Leonard Fournette, Bucs

at Panthers

The Bucs are pretty inconsistent with their rushing attack and just attack in general. We never know who will lead the way. The Panthers are the fifth-worst team in fantasy football against opposing running backs, though… so Fournette should get some looks.

WR Rashard Higgins, Browns

vs. Texans

Rashard Higgins should have a good look to heat back up against the Texans since Odell Beckham’s still done for the year. Houston has the sixth-worst fantasy football defense vs. WRs, and they’ve allowed nine TDs to the position in the last four games.

WR DJ Chark, Jaguars

at Packers

DJ Chark had 146 yards and a touchdown via QB Jake Luton last week. The Packers have a better secondary than the Texans, but their No. 1 CB in Jaire Alexander is still in the concussion protocol, which would make things massively easier for Chark.

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Rashard Higgins: ‘The sky’s the limit’ with him in the Browns starting lineup

“Hollywood” is ready to step up his game to replace Odell Beckham Jr. in the lineup

Rashard Higgins is back in the Browns starting lineup, and the wide receiver is ready to strut his stuff on the red carpet once again.

Higgins is the first player to get a crack at replacing the injured Odell Beckham Jr. in the lineup, starting opposite Jarvis Landry. And if Higgins has his way, he’s the only solution the Browns need. “Hollywood” showed a lot of confidence in his ability in his Zoom press conference with reporters on Thursday.

“I’m still in the starting lineup, as of now. I really don’t expect that to change,” Higgins said. “At the end of the day, I have to work for everything I ever got. If I had to work to get in this position, I’m going to do it. Here I am. To God give glory and I can’t be thankful for enough.”

Higgins continued,

“I’m going to keep working, keeping putting my head down, not get too big-headed on myself. The sky’s the limit.”

He does acknowledge it a slightly different sky than Beckham’s, however.

“We all run the routes just about the same, some people just run it faster. Odell was playing well, he’s a little faster, I’m a little slower. Baker’s got to slow the ball down for me a little bit.”

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Six points with David Dorey

David Dorey’s take on six items heading into the weekend

Week 8 is here, and playing the Falcons is  no longer as much fun. The Steelers are the last man standing with an unbeaten record but they are heading into Baltimore for their toughest matchup of the year. We’re still losing a couple of fantasy starters every week and some guys like Raheem Mostert and Michael Thomas are into their second injury of the season.

It’s been an odd year with plenty of injuries. But it is certainly memorable.

Six items thinking about for the weekend:

  1. WR Michael Pittman –  The Colts 2.02 pick was on injured reserve with a calf injury, but he’s been designated to come off. That gives the Colts a 21-day window starting last Wednesday to get him back onto the active roster. The 6-4 wideout from USC runs a 4.5/40 and caught 101 passes as a senior. The Colts passing offense has been a disappointment this year other than Week 6 against the Bengals.T.Y. Hilton hasn’t clicked with anyone since Andrew Luck left and at 30 years old, he could be on the permanent downturn.Parris Campbell was brought on as a deep threat but Pittman was hoped to become an every-down starter and big presence in the middle of the field. Marcus Johnson is just a fourth-year, undrafted wideout with never more than 277 yards in a season and he just posted 108 yards on five catches last week. Johnson’s is not the long-term solution that Pittman was drafted to become. He could still figure in later in the season.
  2. RB DeeJay Dallas – The utility back never gained more than 850 yards in Miami but he was the Seahawks fourth-round pick. Dallas moved up to No. 3 on the depth chart behind Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde. Travis Homer is also used but Carson, Hyde and Homer have not practiced this week. There is some hope that Hyde or Homer might get well enough to play against the visiting 49ers this week.The Seahawks move the offense based largely on what the backfield and two starting wide receivers. It’s always good to watch a back get a starting opportunity and Dallas may end up on the field this weekend. Practice on Friday will give more clarity but he’s the only 100% healthy back they currently have.
  3. WR Rashard Higgins  – The Browns lost Odell Beckham to a torn ACL so the rest of 2020 will have a new split end. Rashard Higgins was working from the slot and Donovan Peoples-Jones was the backup for Beckham. While Peoples-Jones ended with 56 yards and a touchdown on thre catches last week, Higgins will move into the starting role and already posted six catches for 110 yards last week.The Browns face the Raiders this week and then go into their bye. Returning in Week 10, they face the Texans, Eagles, Jaguars, and Titans next. Jarvis Landry has been banged up all year and has scored. He may see an uptick with Beckham out, but Higgins stands to benefit the most with Beckham out. The Browns prefer to run the ball, but Higgins already showed what can happen when they put him in a starting role.
  4. QB Ben DiNucci – The seventh-round pick from James Madison is in line to start for the Cowboys this week, and depending on how well he does and what happens with Andy Dalton, he may end up with more starts than just this week at the Eagles. This may not be pretty, given that DiNucci only threw three passes and yet was sacked three times and lost two fumbles to Washington last week in limited play.While there is a difference between playing the Eagles vs. Weber State or William and Mary, DiNucci threw for 3,441 yards and 29 touchdowns last year and he ran for 569 yards and seven scores. Considering the state of the Cowboy’s offensive line, DiNucci will still be running in the NFL. Whatever happens on Sunday will paint a picture for the rest of the season. Chances are it won’t be pretty, but it will be worth watching. And sure, start the Eagles defense this week.
  5. Trade rumors – The deadline is Tuesday at 4 PM EST. Some names that have been recently rumored to be CB Stephon Gilmore, WR Adam Thielen, WR Jamison Crowder,  WR Alshon Jeffery, WR Golden Tate, WR Keelan Cole, WR John Ross, RB David Johnson, WR Will Fuller, TE David Njoku, A.J. Green, and WR Michael Gallup.What is usually telling is when  player’s typical workload changes dramatically this week – either getting much more use than normal to show them off or holding players back to prevent them from getting hurt.
  6. Tight Ends 2020  – There’s been plenty of grumbling about how tight ends are not performing well this season. Let’s take a look at the Top-10 tight ends as of Week 7 in this year versus last:
    Oddly, there have been more touchdowns scored this year by the position but the catches and yards are down significantly. Notice too that the top tight ends were all doing well in 2019 but not only is it very jumbled after the first three, but that the fantasy points do not match up from the same rank. Kittle is a paragon of consistency with the same fantasy points at this point in each of the last two years. But the fantasy points have otherwise fallen.

    That’s going to make Travis Kelce, Darren Waller and George Kittle even more expensive in 2021. And the rest are going to wait even later in drafts.

Browns stock report following the Week 7 win in Cincinnati

Browns stock report following the Week 7 win in Cincinnati

Following their Week 6 loss to the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baker Mayfield came out and said this “loss makes 4-2 feel like 0-6”. Moving on to Week 7 in Cincinnati, we will take stock of which Browns played well and which ones failed to achieve a satisfying return on investment.

Here’s a look at the stock up and stock down for Browns players in Week 7.

Stock Down: The secondary

In Week 7, the Cleveland Browns secondary allowed rookie Joe Burrow to pass for the season’s highest yardage. Maybe the worst display of the day was Tee Higgins’ touchdown reception in the fourth quarter with the Browns up four points. Higgins catches the ball in the middle of the field and sheds multiple tacklers when turning upfield.

Compile this mistake with constant lapses in coverage; the Browns offense will have to score 35 points or more every game even to stand a chance. In fact, the Browns have only kept two opponents under 30 points in 2020.

Stock Up: Baker Mayfield

After starting the game with five incompletions and an interception, there was likely plenty of concern around how the rest of the game would go. Would Baker Mayfield go into a shell, similar to Week 6, or would he be the reason for a victory?

Fortunately, in the second half of the contest, Mayfield found his groove. Mayfield completed his last 22 passes, no I don’t count the spike. It was the type of performance a fanbase can reflect on when they find themselves asking, “why did we draft him?”

Baker had a magical game.

Stock Down: The linebackers

The linebackers deserve just as much blame for what happened in Week 7 as the secondary. The linebackers were being manipulated by a rookie quarterback and constantly found out of position. For example, on the last Bengals touchdown of the game, there appeared to be a switch between Sione Takitaki and Andrew Sendejo on Gio Bernard. One or both of them completely blew the assignment, and Takitaki could not catch up to Bernard.

Stock Up: Harrison Bryant

Being a tight end in the NFL, in my opinion, is one of the hardest positions because you can be moved all over the field, and you have designated blocking assignments. For this reason, and also because he was behind both Hooper and Njoku, I didn’t have high expectations for Harrison Bryant coming into the season.

In Week 7, with Hooper out and Njoku being a distraction and possibly asking for a trade, Bryant stepped up. There wasn’t a phase of the game which seemed too big for him. He worked hard as a blocker, he was aggressive with the ball in his hands, and he didn’t shrink in the spotlight.

FANTASY SPIN: If Austin Hooper misses another week, fantasy gamers should be cautiously optimistic about starting Harrison Bryant. Also, there is still a possibility David Njoku becomes trade bait before the deadline for an upgrade on defense.

Stock Up: Rashard Higgins

Over my career of watching football, some people have undeniable connections. No matter the situation, the quarterback has an uncanny ability to put the football exactly where that particular wide receiver is. Baker Mayfield and Rashard Higgins have one of those connections. For some reason, the football is like a magnet to Higgins’ hands when Mayfield is targeting him.

For Week 8 and fantasy football purposes, we have to consider what will happen with Higgins moving forward. Specifically, how serious is the injury to Odell Beckham? If OBJ does miss time, Higgins steps in with a great connection to Mayfield, a possible 78% snap share, and a 13.7% target share available to him. Higgins would likely be considered a WR3 or low-end flex option.

Stock Up: Kareem Hunt

Outside of one carry for D’Ernest Johnson, no other running back for the Cleveland Browns touched the football. Even while dealing with a groin injury, Hunt was the iron man for the Cleveland Browns in Week 7. He was strong after contact and proved to be a reliable weapon out of the backfield. Having a backfield with both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in it should not be allowed.

Browns snap count notes: David Njoku’s return, return of the nickel CB and more

The Browns had 73 offensive snaps and just 56 on defense against the Colts

A week after playing almost 160 total snaps, Sunday’s game at FirstEnergy Stadium was a relative break for the Cleveland Browns. There were 129 snaps between the Browns and visiting Colts, a big drop from the 157 in Dallas in Week 4.

The Browns held the ball for 73 offensive snaps to the Colts’ 56. Five Browns — four lineman and QB Baker Mayfield — played all 73.

Wyatt Teller’s injury at right guard forced some shuffling. Chris Hubbard played 59 snaps in place of Teller, who left after just 14. Kendall Lamm also got into the game, playing exactly one snap as an extra tackle.

With Nick Chubb on I.R., it was the Kareem Hunt show at RB. Hunt played 70% of the snaps, 51 in total. That’s a season-high for Hunt. Backup D’Ernest Johnson was the only other RB to get in on offense, filling out the other 22 reps. Dontrell Hilliard only played on special teams. FB Andy Janovich played 14.

David Njoku saw limited action as the No. 3 tight end in his return. Njoku played 21 snaps and caught his only target. He’s still behind rookie Harrison Bryant, who played 29 but did not catch a pass. Austin Hooper had 58 reps and saw a season-high 10 targets, catching five.

It was also a big jump up for Rashard Higgins as the third WR. After weeks as a healthy scratch, Higgins rolled out the red carpet with 40 snaps, including his TD reception. He had just 60 snaps through the first four weeks.

On defense, the Browns shifted from three safeties to three corners as the primary nickel package against the Colts. With Karl Joseph out, the move made sense. Andrew Sendejo never left the field, joined by CBs Denzel Ward and Terrance Mitchell as the iron men on the D.

Starting in place of Joseph, Ronnie Harrison played the first 37 snaps before leaving with a concussion. Sheldrick Redwine then filled in for the remaining 19. They did not play on the field together, meaning the Browns did not use a three-safety look once in the game. CB Kevin Johnson played 41 reps (73%) as the nickel back in the slot.

Rookie Jordan Elliott lasted just nine snaps in his starting debut before leaving with an injury. Vincent Taylor took over and played 31 reps in his place. Adrian Clayborn caught 21 snaps in his return from injury at DE.

Browns WR coach Chad O’Shea: ‘Competition is still open’ for 3rd WR job

Browns WR coach Chad O’Shea: ‘Competition is still open’ for 3rd WR job

The first two spots on the depth chart at wide receiver are not subject to debate. Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are firmly entrenched as the Cleveland Browns starters. After that?

Two weeks of training camp practices have yet to sort out who will be No. 3, or beyond that for that matter. Wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea made that clear in his Zoom conference with reporters prior to Saturday’s practice.

“The competition is still open,’’ he said. “It’s a very competitive situation on our roster. Nothing is set in stone and we have a lot of guys vying for it.’’

Many expected veteran Rashard Higgins to seize the role, but “Hollywood” has not starred enough to beat out the other players auditioning. KhaDarel Hodge’s return to practice after missing several days to attend to a personal matter only makes the competition more crowded. O’Shea had nothing but positive things to say about Hodge upon his return.

“I’m extremely impressed with him and I have a great deal of respect for how he plays,’’ O’Shea said. “He studies hard, he knows what to do and he’s very good mentally. He can function in multiple roles, and it’s important to add value to the team in several different ways.”

Hodge primarily thrived on special teams in 2019, his first year in Cleveland. But he made plays as a receiver in the first week of camp, and the versatility O’Shea cited only adds value. Higgins is more one-dimensional, though he produced well and showed great chemistry with Baker Mayfield during the quarterback’s rookie season in 2018.

Rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones has also interjected himself into the mix. Peoples-Jones hasn’t been flawless but continues to make big plays when given chances.

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Browns 2020 position preview: Wide receivers

Projecting what the productivity for Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and the rest of the Browns WRs will look like in 2020

Last year notwithstanding, the Cleveland Browns do not have a rich recent history of wide receiver duos on their roster. The previous wide receiver tandem to go over 200 targets for the Browns was Terrelle Pryor and Corey Coleman. Yikes!

This year’s crop of wide receivers, similar to 2019, is a top-heavy group. Fortunately for the wide receivers behind Beckham and Landry, both players are on the mend, and there will be opportunities to work with Baker Mayfield.

Snapshot of the depth chart

Key Returnees: Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge, Damion Ratley, Taywan Taylor, D.J. Montgomery

Newcomers: Donovan Peoples-Jones, JoJo Natson, J’Mon Moore

Key Departures: None

Factors Surrounding the Wide Receivers

I need to see what Beckham and Landry can do together healthy. In 2019, both players dealt with injuries, which could have slowed them down to impact their overall performance. Even with these injuries, both players rarely left the field; they played over 93% of the Browns’ offensive snaps. 

With two target hogs on the field, there isn’t much room for targets behind either one. On top of limited opportunities for targets, the Browns won’t have a use for a deep wide receiver bench. The Browns expect to play primarily out of 12-personnel (two tight ends), and there won’t be much playing time available for anyone else.

My concern for the Browns, even though there won’t be much playing time, is the depth. Beckham and Landry are amazing but there are serious questions about the other players behind them. If the Browns move on from either, or both, in the coming offseason or two, the Browns will have serious question marks at the position.

Predictions:

I don’t have concerns about this position on the football team. The Browns have two elite targets at wide receiver for Baker Mayfield. The Browns also made a smart move to re-sign Rashard Higgins, who has shown good chemistry with Mayfield in the past. They also drafted explosive rookie, Donovan Peoples-Jones, on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft. 

Projected Stats:

Odell Beckham: 88 receptions (144 targets), 1,226 yards, 7 TDs

Jarvis Landry: 93 receptions (144 targets), 1,150 yards, 6 TDs

Rashard Higgins: 31 receptions (43 targets), 297, 2 TDs

*Only projected the top-3

 

6 Browns in need of a good training camp

6 Browns in need of a good training camp to stick around on the team

Training camp is still scheduled to begin in late July. When the Browns players return to Berea for the annual rite of football passage later this month, some players will be fighting for their right to get one of the (great) new redesigned Browns jerseys with their name on the back.

Regime changes are nothing new for the Browns, and the associated roster turnover with them is a sad reality. There are some current Browns who will not work out in the new schemes with the new coaches, sometimes through little fault of their own.

Here are six Browns who need to show they belong in Cleveland in 2020 by having a strong training camp.

Chris Hubbard

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The veteran right tackle has already lost his starting spot to free agent Jack Conklin. Hubbard has already taken a pay cut to stick with the team, but that doesn’t ensure his place on the roster.

Hubbard will need to prove he’s worthy of keeping as the backup tackle. Kendall Lamm is younger, cheaper and more athletic than Hubbard and he’s fighting for that same gig. Hubbard has been the better player and has certainly proven more durable, but that will only carry so much weight if he’s not impressive to the new coaching staff right away.

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