Before training camp started, I reviewed every position and player on the Cleveland Browns roster. At the end of each player profile, I gave a percentage on what their odds of making the team would be. Let's take a look back at everyone's roster odds and whether or not they actually made the team.
Remember, all of these percentages were from before training camp even started, back in July. They are not the same as the roster projections I had right before final cuts. This gives a fun look back as to how each player met my pre-camp expectations.
Quarterback - I misjudged how safe Seneca Wallace would be compared to Colt McCoy, but I had still given Lewis a coin flip shot at making the roster. My percentages probably should have been adjusted a little better, since there was no way four quarterbacks were going to be kept.
- Brandon Weeden = 100%
- Seneca Wallace = 90%
- Colt McCoy = 80%
- Thaddeus Lewis = 50%
Running Back - I think these odds played out perfectly at running back. Hardesty had a strong camp early on, but his supporters started to wain over the final two weeks of camp. Ogbonnaya was "iffy" all the way, but still ended up making the final roster.
- Trent Richardson = 100%
- Brandon Jackson = 95%
- Montario Hardesty = 80%
- Chris Ogbonnaya = 60%
- Adonis Thomas = <5%
Fullback - Again, I feel pretty good about guessing the fullback position correctly. Smelley never ended up seeing action with the first-string offense, and you have to wonder if Richardson being injured helped his ability to be showcased in camp. Still, he made the practice squad.
- Owen Marecic = 90%
- Brad Smelley = 65% (95% practice squad)
- Eddie Williams = <5%
Wide Receiver - I stuck by my guns early on that Little, Gordon, Benjamin, Massaquoi, Cribbs, and Norwood would be the team's top six receivers, and it paid off. The big question early on was Cooper vs. Norwood, and Norwood rightfully won out, with Cooper still going on the practice squad.
- Greg Little = 100%
- Josh Gordon = 100%
- Travis Benjamin = 100%
- Mohamed Massaquoi = 99%
- Joshua Cribbs = 99%
- Jordan Norwood = 70%
- Josh Cooper = 27% (80% practice squad)
- Carlton Mitchell = 5%
- Rod Windsor = <1%
- Bert Reed = <1%
- Jermaine Saffold = <1%
- Owen Spencer = <1%
Tight End - Here is my first swing and a miss with Moore. He ended up missing some action to begin camp, which hurt his roster odds since it allowed Cameron to be showcased. Never count Smith out with this regime -- Pat Shurmur and company must really like him.
- Benjamin Watson = 98%
- Jordan Cameron = 95%
- Evan Moore = 90%
- Alex Smith = 50%
- Dan Gronkowski = <5%
Offensive Line - My top eight projections all made the roster, although Cousins ended up making everyone nervous as camp progressed. My practice squad projections were murky here except for Shaw; I missed on believing Alford would make the practice squad if he didn't make the final roster.
- Joe Thomas = 100%
- Jason Pinkston = 100%
- Alex Mack = 100%
- Shawn Lauvao = 100%
- Mitchell Schwartz = 100%
- Ryan Miller = 95%
- Oniel Cousins = 90%
- John Greco = 90%
- Dominic Alford = 40%
- Stanley Daniels = 10%
- Garth Gerhart = 10% (25% practice squad)
- Jarrod Shaw = 5% (75% practice squad)
- Jake Anderson = <5%
- Matt Cleveland = <5%
- J.B. Shugarts = <5% (25% practice squad)
Defensive Line - I actually don't think I did too bad with these projections. I had Schaefering low to start off camp, and he ended up being cut outright. Paxson actually made the initial 53-man roster before being waived/injured a day later. Benard was placed on injured reserve, and his 60% would have mostly transferred to Stephens. If I brag a bit about Paxson, I guess I should take some heat on Sanford (<1%), who also made the roster...for a day.
- Ahtyba Rubin = 100%
- Jabaal Sheard = 100%
- Frostee Rucker = 100%
- John Hughes = 100%
- Billy Winn = 90%
- Scott Paxson = 80%
- Juqua Parker = 80%
- Marcus Benard = 60%
- Brian Schaefering = 40%
- Emmanuel Stephens = 30%
- Auston English = 10%
- Brian Sanford = <1%
- William Green = <1%
- Kiante Tripp = <0.1%
Linebacker - Two injuries messed this position up -- Gocong and Acho. They had such large percentages that they had to be dispersed elsewhere. Had I known they would be out, I would not have given bonus points to Spears, because he was only a special teams guy. The benefactors would have been Fort, Robertson, and Jacobs. Even if Gocong and Acho had been healthy, though, Fort and Robertson both came on way stronger than I expected.
- D'Qwell Jackson = 100%
- Chris Gocong = 100%
- James-Michael Johnson = 100%
- Scott Fujita = 95%
- Kaluka Maiava = 95%
- Emmanuel Acho = 80%
- Quinton Spears = 40%
- Benjamin Jacobs = 30% (75% practice squad)
- L.J. Fort = <5%
- Craig Robertson = <1%
Safety - Not bad, eh? I forgot that I had made a 100% guarantee for Young, only to move him to my "cut" list near the end of camp. At least I gave Sims a high rating before he ended up doing anything, right? Gipson made the roster for his special teams abilities.
- T.J. Ward = 100%
- Eric Hagg = 100%
- Usama Young = 100%
- Ray Ventrone = 80%
- David Sims = 50%
- Tashaun Gipson = 5%
Cornerback - This wasn't too bad either. I correctly had Wade above Dockery, and for being an unknown, I had a higher rating for Bademosi than a couple of other guys.
- Joe Haden = 100%
- Sheldon Brown = 100%
- Dimitri Patterson = 100%
- Buster Skrine = 99%
- Trevin Wade = 75%
- James Dockery = 40%
- Johnson Bademosi = 25%
- Emanuel Davis = <5%
- Antwuan Reed = <1%
Special Teams - My original concern with Hodges was that he would not be recovered from his injury, and Lanning was actually one of the top non-starting punting prospects in the league. Hodges proved to be healthy right away, though.
- Phil Dawson = 100%
- Reggie Hodges = 90%
- Christian Yount = 95%
- Spencer Lanning = 10%
- Jeff Wolfert = <1%