Cleveland Browns Training Camp 2013: DL Preview (Part 3)

We continue down the defensive line depth chart today with profiles on Brian Sanford, Nicolas Jean-Baptiste, and Hall Davis. If you missed them, here are links to our previous defensive line previews:

Part 1 DL Preview (The Starters)
Part 2 DL Preview (The Backups)

8. BRIAN SANFORD - THIRD-STRING DEFENSIVE END

Brian Sanford (#70)

Height: 6-2 | Weight: 280
Age: 25 | Experience: 3 years
College: Temple

Note: Has been hanging around the Browns since 2010...practice squad eligibility seems to be gone.

It's unusual for a guy to be around for so long, but consistently be a practice squad or late-season call-up to the final roster. Brian Sanford has been a member of the Browns since 2010, when he was an undrafted free agent. He has been active for just six games in three years, with a total of five tackles.

My belief is that Sanford is ineligible to make any more practice squads in the NFL, which basically means "this is it" for him -- if he doesn't make the Browns' final roster, it will be tough for him to get another opportunity elsewhere.

With all of that in mind, Sanford seems like nothing more than camp fodder. The Browns already have five defensive ends more likely to make the roster than him (covered in parts one and two of our preview). Unless someone suffers an injury, this is the end of the road for Sanford in Cleveland.

Final Roster Odds: <1%

9. NICOLAS JEAN-BAPTISTE - CONTENDING FOR BACKUP NOSE TACKLE

Nick Jean-Baptiste (#94)

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 330
Age: 24 | Experience: 1 year
College: Baylor

Note: Could make a serious push to be the backup nose tackle...played with Phil Taylor at Baylor.

Out of all the guys in part three and part four of our defensive line previews, Nicolas Jean-Baptiste would seem to have the best chance to make the final roster. Part of the reason is because he has lesser competition: at nose tackle, there is only a two-man competition between the favorite (Ishmaa'ily Kitchen) and the underdog (Jean-Baptiste).

Jean-Baptiste is practically the same size as Kitchen. Kitchen's advantage is the fact that he is a returning player who looked good on tape last year. Jean-Baptiste's advantage is that he was a former teammate of Phil Taylor's at Baylor. If there are any tips to be offered, Taylor's allegiance may fall with Jean-Baptiste. In terms of talent, this will be one of the lesser-but-still-interesting camp battles to look out for.

Final Roster Odds: 10%
Practice Squad Odds: 50%

10. HALL DAVIS - THIRD-STRING DEFENSIVE END

Hall Davis (#91)

Height: 6-4 | Weight: 270
Age: 26 | Experience: 1 year
College: Louisiana-Lafayette

Note: Former fifth-round pick...has bounced around to multiple teams...was on roster for final two games of 2012.

It has been an interesting little career for defensive end Hall Davis. He was drafted in the fifth-round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams, but was soon traded to the Redskins, who then released him a day later.

Davis spent a year with the Tennessee Titans, then a little bit of time with the Oakland Raiders, before signing on to the Browns practice squad mid-way through last season. He was promoted to the 53-man roster for the final two weeks of the season and played, but did not record any statistics.

Davis is one of a handful of guys who seem a bit under-sized for the position, but he was seeing a couple of reps with the third-team defense in the offseason programs, according to reports.

Final Roster Odds: <1%
Practice Squad Odds: 10%

We will post Part 4 of our defensive line training camp preview on Wednesday, which wraps things up with profiles on Justin Staples, Dave Kruger, and Kendrick Adams.

Today's poll asks about the backup nose tackle position and who you think will emerge with the job.