As the Cleveland Browns continue to prepare for a tough matchup with the Buffalo Bills in Detroit, they have brought in six players for tryouts. This has been common practice for the Browns this season, as they have seemingly held workouts consistently.
The Browns have even signed two players to their practice squad from these tryouts in safety Mike Brown and wide receiver Cyril Grayson (even though Grayson has already been released from the practice squad). This makes it worth getting to know the players the Browns have brought into Berea.
Here are the six players the Browns worked out today.
#Browns tryout 6 today pic.twitter.com/X8ggmlys8W
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) November 18, 2022
LB Storey Jackson
NFL insider Aaron Wilson broke the news that Storey Jackson was in Berea today, but little did we know he was not the only one. The former Liberty linebacker signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent this past Spring but failed to make the final 53-man roster.
He had a productive final season at Liberty in 2021, tallying 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and seven sacks for the Flames. Jackson is listed at 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds and runs a 4.68 40-yard dash.
S Bubba Bolden
Former USC and Miami safety Bubba Bolden has been a popular name over the past two seasons as it looked like his draft stock was on the rise with the Hurricanes. Bolden, however, went undrafted this past Spring as well, signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Bolden ran a 4.47 40-yard dash with elite 10 and 20-yard splits. He, however, did not test overly explosive, leaping to just a 31-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-8 broad jump. Can the former high recruit find treading in the NFL? If not, he was just selected in the XFL draft this week.
S Antoine Brooks
Another safety taken in the XFL draft, former Maryland safety Antoine Brooks was also in Berea for a workout. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brooks lasted just one season in the midwest before landing with the Los Angeles Rams last season.
Winning a Super Bowl ring, Brooks appeared in eight games with the Rams, tallying just three tackles on the season. He is not an elite athlete and does not have much playing time in the NFL. However, landing on a practice squad at the NFL level will still net him a bigger payday than the XFL should the Browns opt to sign him.
OT Will Holden
Former Vanderbilt offensive tackle Will Holden also made his way to Northeast Ohio as well. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, Holden has been around the league over the past five years.
Waived just a year after he was drafted, Holden then landed on the practice squads of both the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. He then returned to the Cardinals in 2019 before inevitably being waived again. Holden has also spent time with the Miami Dolphins, Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants.
OT Will Richardson
A fourth round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2018 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State, offensive tackle Will Richardson has never found his footing in the NFL. He has, however, started games in the NFL over his four-year career.
Richardson was cut by the Jaguars this summer after training camp. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 306 pounds, Richardson has massive 35-inch arms and nearly 10-inch hands. He possesses great explosiveness, but his speed and agility are average historically for NFL offensive tackles. Can he find his footing in Cleveland?
LB Zakoby McClain
The former Auburn linebacker Zakoby McClain was the last of the six tryouts in Berea today. He racked up elite production during his last year with the Tigers just last year, tallying 95 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, and six passes deflected in coverage.
Undersized and a below-average athlete, however, McClain went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. He then signed as an undrafted free agent with the Baltimore Ravens. Can the Browns find value in his production despite underwhelming metrics otherwise?
