Getty Images Browns receivers Rashard Higgins and KhaDarel Hodge.
The Cleveland Browns will have some tough decisions to make when roster cuts arrive, which could include moving on from wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge.
Hodge has been a steady presence for the Browns at the bottom of the wide receiver depth chart the last two seasons, playing in 25 games. He has 15 catches for 256 yards over that span. Hodge also plays a role on special teams, playing 82 snaps last season.
Browns reporter Brad Stainbrook of the Orange and Brown Report is hearing that Sunday’s preseason game could be Hodge’s last with Cleveland.
“As the Browns prepare to travel to Atlanta this evening, the belief is it may be the last game for WR KhaDarel Hodge as a Cleveland Brown, sources say,” Stainbrook tweeted.
Stainbrook believes the receiver room will be made up of Jarvis Landry Odell Beckham Jr., Rashard Higgins and Donovan Peoples-Jones, as well as rookies Anthony Schwartz and Demetric Felton.
Hodge Not Thinking About Roster Spot
Hodge is also mentioned as a trade candidate. He has two catches for 21 yards this preseason, including a beautiful touchdown grab in the Browns last preseason game.
“We just come out and compete every day. We know we have a great receiving room. We push each other every day to come out and be the best every day,” Hodge told reporters following the win against the Giants last week. “There are no plays off. Every opportunity counts. We never know when it could be your last so everything is important in the receiving room.
Hodge said he tries not to think about his roster spot being on the line and just tries to leave it all on the field.
“I don’t look at it like that because it would drive me crazy. We just come out and compete. That is our mindset from top to bottom,” he said. “We are all like brothers in there. We see someone messing up or someone needs help, we are going to give each other advice at some point and pick each other up at some point. We just come out and compete every day.”
Browns Expected to Play Baker Mayfield in Preseason
Hodge could make a final push for a roster spot with a big preseason finale. One benefit he’ll have is Baker Mayfield under center for his first action of the preseason.
“We have a plan, but I want to see how it goes,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “We try to be smart about everything we do. That is why I think the joint practices are so important because it is a controlled environment where our No. 1’s got close to 60 reps against their No. 1’s in a controlled environment. It is all part of it. The way you practice and the way you play is similar, and it is all good work is the way I look at it.”
Kevin Stefanski says that QB Baker Mayfield WILL play in the preseason finale Sunday night in Atlanta.
Mayfield took a big leap in Year 3 with Stefanski calling the shots in Cleveland. He surged down the stretch, helping lead the Browns to a playoff berth and Wild Card win against the Steelers, passing for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns, and — more importantly — a career-low eight interceptions.
The expectations are high for Mayfield, who should take another step forward with a year of experience in Stefanski’s offense. He’s also playing with the rumors of an extension floating around. The Browns picked up Mayfield’s fifth-year option this offseason, linking him with the club for at least this season and next.
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