PHILADELPHIA — Training camp and preseason games are all about players on the bubble working hard to make a name for themselves—and make a case for themselves as they look for a spot on a 53-man roster.
For the Browns, several players have been reaching that goal, evidenced again Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.
On the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr., entering his first year out of The University of Alabama at Birmingham, was an undeniable bright spot.
The Browns signed Watkins at the end of July, and he's been working hard since, making plays all through practice and forming connections with each quarterback he takes the field with.
Against the Eagles, Watkins caught seven passes for an impressive 139 yards and a touchdown. But his performances go beyond one game.
Through the preseason so far, Watkins leads the NFL in receiving yards with 245, in receptions with 15, and in touchdowns with two, tied with Eagles running back Trey Sermon.
On the other side of the ball, two other players are having preseason and training camp outings that also make a case for their spots on the 53-man roster, evidenced on Thursday night once again.
Safety Ronnie Hickman, an undrafted free agent out of The Ohio State University, has earned the nickname "Ronnie Pickman" this preseason—and for good reason.
Hickman notched another interception Thursday night against the Eagles—his third in the past two games. Hickman has matched his total college career number of picks in just two games.
During practices, Hickman shows strong coverage and ball hawk skills in 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s, and so far has excelled in translating that into action on game day.
At linebacker, another undrafted free agent, Mohamoud Diabate, has also shined on defense.
On Thursday, Diabate put the Browns on the board first with a tackle in the end zone, getting the team their second safety in two weeks. But he was all over the field all game. Diabate recorded eight tackles, seven of which were solo, with a tackle for loss and lending a hand in the sack recorded by Tanner McCalister.
All three players entered the game on the cusp of earning a spot on the 53-man roster, which comes on Aug. 29 by 4 p.m.
With additional strong performances on Thursday, all three might be one step closer to that goal—and the Browns might have some tough decisions to make in the coming days, in the best way.
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