{"id":54341,"date":"2025-08-08T11:12:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T11:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/54341\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T11:12:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T11:12:07","slug":"seven-browns-not-named-shedeur-sanders-to-watch-in-preseason-matchup-with-panthers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/54341\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven Browns not named Shedeur Sanders to watch in preseason matchup with Panthers"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 Shedeur Mania hits the field and the national stage Friday night, as Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders starts against the Carolina Panthers in the preseason opener for both teams.<\/p>\n

The Browns have injuries at quarterback, and despite Joe Flacco taking nearly all the snaps with the No. 1 offense over the past two weeks of training camp, there is no final answer.<\/p>\n

Sanders hasn\u2019t taken any reps with the starters. Friday\u2019s start will come alongside an evolving group of backups and fellow rookies, as the Browns plan to sit most of their first string. As is almost always the case, the first preseason game is about competition down the depth chart and, in some cases, offers the most extensive playing time for rookies and roster long shots at this point in the summer.<\/p>\n

So, who\u2019s worth watching besides Sanders? Where will Sanders go with the ball? Which players have steadily earned more reps in camp while the focus remains on a quarterback situation that, outside Flacco, has been different almost every day for the past week? Let\u2019s explore.<\/p>\n

Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. will play Friday and might catch a couple passes, but he won\u2019t be on the list because he\u2019s already close to becoming a regular in the Browns\u2019 offense. This list, though not fully inclusive, highlights players looking to further insert themselves into discussions about the team\u2019s plans and regular-season roster, which must be trimmed from 90 to 53 players by Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n

Luke Floriea and Gage Larvadain, WRs<\/p>\n

These two undersized, undrafted rookies share a somewhat similar style and both have been active in camp. Floriea has been the most targeted player in practices \u2014 and he\u2019s caught nearly all of them \u2014 while Larvadain impressed in the second week with several highlight-reel catches. Both have developed a rapport with Sanders, so expect them to be part of the game plan Friday.<\/p>\n

Nothing is settled in the Browns\u2019 receiving corps beyond the top two, so the next few weeks are crucial for several players fighting to have NFL futures \u2014 and for the Browns\u2019 personnel department, which may need to explore outside pass-catching options. Expect Floriea and Kaden Davis to get opportunities as kickoff returners in the preseason opener.<\/p>\n

Chigozie Anusiem, CB<\/p>\n

The Browns signed Anusiem off of Washington\u2019s practice squad last November, and with a spate of injuries at cornerback early in camp, he has gone from a special teams hopeful to having a real chance of making the roster. Martin Emerson is out for the year<\/a>, and Greg Newsome II is having a strong camp but injured his shoulder while breaking up a pass last week. Newsome wouldn\u2019t be playing in the preseason opener anyway, but his injury bumped Anusiem to outside cornerback with the No. 1 defense in pass-down packages in Wednesday\u2019s joint practice<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a strong sign that Anusiem is going to play at least half of Friday\u2019s game and get to challenge himself against almost all of Carolina\u2019s top receivers. Recent third-day draft picks Cameron Mitchell and Myles Harden are slot cornerback candidates and near locks to make the roster, but much remains unsettled.<\/p>\n

Ahmani Marshall, RB<\/p>\n

Marshall signed with the Browns after April\u2019s draft despite Cleveland selecting two running backs. Though the ongoing absence of second-round pick Quinshon Judkins<\/a> remains a big issue for a lackluster offense, Marshall now has a chance to play a significant amount of snaps in a game environment.<\/p>\n

The preseason opener is a big stage for fourth-round rookie running back Dylan Sampson, too, but we know he\u2019s going to be on the roster \u2014 and probably in the rotation. The Browns need a bigger running back and a developmental runner for their practice squad, and the 225-pound Marshall is the August beneficiary of Judkins\u2019 absence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ahmani Marshall\u2019s opportunities have increased with second-round rookie Quinshon Judkins not participating at training camp. (Jason Miller \/ Getty Images)Lorenzo Thompson, OL<\/p>\n

An undrafted rookie in 2024 who spent the season on the practice squad, Thompson has played tackle with the No. 3 offense and guard with the No. 2 and No. 3 units. He\u2019s probably not going to make the initial 53-man roster, but his versatility could help him again secure a spot on the practice squad and potentially be a part of the team\u2019s long-term thinking.<\/p>\n

The Browns\u2019 four best and most experienced offensive linemen are under contract only for 2025, so the team establishing a pipeline is important. Especially with 2024 third-round pick Zak Zinter out with an undisclosed injury, Thompson and guard Javion Cohen have big opportunities ahead.<\/p>\n

Chris Edmonds, S<\/p>\n

Edmonds ran with the No. 1 defense early in camp when the Browns\u2019 top safety, Grant Delpit, was a limited participant. Edmonds has seen his practice snaps cut over the past week, but this preseason environment is made for a player in his situation. He\u2019ll play at least two quarters on defense and on many of the top special teams units. The 2024 undrafted rookie will be auditioning for the Browns and the rest of the league.<\/p>\n

Rayshawn Jenkins has emerged as the Browns\u2019 No. 3 safety for now, but considering he and Damontae Kazee are over 30, the preseason games should provide an opportunity for younger players.<\/p>\n

Adin Huntington, DL<\/p>\n

The Browns\u2019 official website lists Huntington as an edge player, but the unofficial depth chart lists the undrafted rookie where he\u2019s played in training camp: defensive tackle with the No. 3 defense. The defensive tackle group is set at the top of the depth chart but completely unsettled elsewhere, and both Huntington and second-year player Jowon Briggs<\/a> figure to get extensive action in the first two preseason games.<\/p>\n

Briggs played well late last season and is closer to winning a roster spot than Huntington, but the preseason environment is crucial for all of the team\u2019s backup defensive linemen to make splash plays and earn more opportunities.<\/p>\n

(Top photo of Luke Floriea: Jeff Lange \/ USA Today via Imagn Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 Shedeur Mania hits the field and the national stage Friday night, as Cleveland Browns rookie…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54342,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[49,48,1724,514,82],"class_list":["post-54341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cleveland-browns","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}