Browns Starter Faces Possible Demotion After Abysmal Opener

Getty Jordan Elliott of the Cleveland Browns.

The Cleveland Browns have a couple of pressing roster questions to answer over the next month, including a massive one in the center of their defensive front.

NFL coaches and executives have become relative experts on side-stepping media scrutiny by addressing inquiries with empty answers that don’t reveal much, if anything at all. But once the games begin — starting with the preseason — and teams begin to make roster moves, there’s little that can be done to hide the clearly decipherable subtext that pops up between the proverbial lines.

Cleveland restructured the fourth and final year of Jordan Elliott’s rookie contract earlier this offseason, fully guaranteeing the defensive tackle $1.5 million in 2023. The move was an indication that the team envisions some type of role for Elliott during the upcoming campaign. If it didn’t, the Browns could have cut Elliott and avoided paying him what the NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator demanded he earn this season following a 2022 season in which he started all 17 games.

But what the Browns were saying between the lines about Elliott changed on Thursday night, August 3, when Cleveland kicked off the preseason against the New York Jets in the Hall of Fame Game. The message has now become that Elliott may still have a fight ahead of him to earn his position on the final 53-man roster, and that his starting spot is in serious jeopardy.

Jordan Elliott Played Significant Amount, Poorly in Browns’ Preseason Opener

GettyDefensive tackle Jordan Elliott of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after sacking quarterback Marcus Mariota, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, during an NFL game in October 2022.

The Browns played Elliott a fair amount Thursday night, while most of his fellow starters didn’t even suit up for the team’s preseason opener.

“Elliott has been getting a lot of starter reps in training camp as the team continues to hold out hope he develops into a solid player,” Jacob Roach of USA Today’s BrownsWire wrote on Sunday, August 6. “It was surprising that he was getting [that] much playing time [Thursday night], … which likely means [the Browns] aren’t completely sold on him.”

That Elliott didn’t perform particularly well against what was a majority of third- and fourth-string players on the field for the Jets offense Thursday night adds another layer of concern.

“We just saw more of the same from Elliott, as he was pushed around in the run game and [was unable] to provide much pass rush,” Roach continued. “Just like with [Maurice] Hurst, this shows the need to add something more proven behind Dalvin Tomlinson in the defensive tackle room.”

Browns Tipped Hand on Feelings About Jordan Elliott Via Meeting With Shelby Harris

GettyFormer Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Shelby Harris remains a potential free agent target for the Cleveland Browns with approximately one month remaining until the start of the 2023 regular season.

One option for Cleveland to improve its defensive tackle room is to sign free agent Shelby Harris. Most recently a member of the Seattle Seahawks, Harris met with the Browns in late July to kick the tires on a potential contract.

The primary obstacle to signing Harris’ is his presumed asking price. The DT signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Denver Broncos in March 2021. Despite entering his age-31 season, Harris remains a quality interior defender and has been a bystander during a summer in which many of his counterparts have received gigantic new contracts.

The Browns had a little more than $16.8 million in 2023 salary cap space at their disposal as of Sunday and are clearly open to spending at least some of that money on continuing improvements to the defensive line.

Harris would unquestionably be an upgrade over Elliott, who started in Cleveland last season along one of the league’s worst defensive fronts. Elliott earned a 40.4 overall player grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) in 2022, slotting him as the 118th-best interior defender out of 127 players who played enough snaps to qualify at the position. Harris, on the other hand, earned an overall player grade of 73.2 and was exceptional as a run defender, per PFF’s advanced analytics.

If Cleveland makes a move to add Harris, or another player of similar talent at a similar price point, Elliott is almost certain to fall out of the Browns’ starting lineup. Should he continue to struggle, the trade block or the waiver wire could be waiting for Elliott in the near future.