tight end David Njoku. The first-time Pro Bowler had his best season yet in 2023 when he finally lived up to his potential.His play was key to the Browns’ miraculous playoff run, prompting the obvious question: Is Njoku a first-round pick?.Mohamoud Diabate pushed himself into special teams as an undrafted rookie in 2023. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.comLinebacker is a position that offers opportunities for young players as they can contribute to special teams units.
Fields is an example of a player who found a niche on special teams and found a role on defense.Diabate was an undrafted free agent last season after a stellar preseason, making nearly 300 special teams snaps. He returns in 2024 with a chance to repeat that success and earn chances on defense as well, depending on how the rest of the group shakes out.Another player in this room is a great example of what a special teams ace can do: Adams had 435 special teams tackles last season and just completed his sixth year in the league. If you are good at it,
you can stay for a while, and if things go well, you can show that you belong to non-special groups.This is always a place to look out for at the end of the 53 man roster..Sione Takitaki has settled in nicely in Cleveland.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.comAllowing Owusu-Koramoah a more prominent role was a priority late in the season when Schwartz said it was time for him to stay off the field.
He played every snap in the wild card game and was less than 86% of the snaps twice in the final seven games of the season – a win at Houston on Christmas Eve and the season finale at Cincinnati, where he sat. outHis role will only expand, meaning less time for a veteran like Walker or Takitaki. The Browns have kept the 28-year-old Walker on one-year deals, and his leadership role in the locker room is valuable –
– and he’s a good player — but his role as the green sticker (helmet microphone for referee calls. ) will diminish as the spotlight will change to Owusu-Koramoah.Takitaki, also 28, returned to a one-year deal this year after returning from a torn ACL he suffered at the end of the 2022 season. He has developed into a reliable, versatile defender who can handle the responsibilities of a central defender.At a position that is still relatively affordable, perhaps the Browns will maintain the status quo. With Owusu-Koramoah playing almost every snap, there might just be room for Walker or Takitaki..
