Tony Grossi, ESPN Cleveland 7y

Browns training camp preview: Running backs, tight ends and specialists

Editor's note: Tony Grossi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN 850 WKNR.

Last in a series analyzing the Browns’ position groups prior to the first training camp practice on Thursday.

Position: Running back.

Roster: George Atkinson, Isaiah Crowell, Matt Dayes (r), Duke Johnson, Terrence Magee, Dan Vitale.

Projected starter: Crowell.

Overview: Crowell enters his contract year with hopes of having a “monster” year to cash in. The motivation of piling up a big statistical season while hitting free agency softened the disappointment of not receiving an agreeable contract extension from the Browns. Coach Hue Jackson has pledged to “feed the Crow” this year, and there is ample reason for that. Jackson acknowledged he erred last year in throwing the ball too much. Now he has an upgraded offensive line and a passing game that is suspect, at best. Thus, the Crow figures to be the focal point of the offense, and 1,200-plus yards is a realistic goal if he stays healthy. Johnson has settled into a third-down role and may get some look as a slot receiver. Dayes was productive at North Carolina State and projects initially as a third-down back. Vitale is the only fullback on the roster.

The major questions

1. How does the marriage of Crowell and agent Drew Rosenhaus affect the Browns’ ability to sign Crowell to a long-term contract? What is the breaking point at which Crowell will decide to test free agency?

2. With the addition of Dayes, will Johnson get reps as a true slot receiver?

3. How can Atkinson earn some reps carrying the ball? He showed some life in the 16th game in Pittsburgh – his only opportunity in 2016.

Position: Tight ends.

Roster: Seth DeValve, J.P. Holtz, Taylor McNamara (r), David Njoku (r), Randall Telfer.

Projected starter: Njoku.

Overview: Njoku, who was drafted after a trade-up from No. 33 to No. 29, is an athletic marvel in the mold of fellow University of Miami alum Kellen Winslow Jr. After just turning 21, Njoku will be among the youngest players in the NFL this year. He could serve as a quasi-third receiver if none emerges. DeValve suffered through some injuries early in his rookie year and then displayed the athleticism that made him a fourth-round pick from Princeton in 2016. His late emergence contributed to the club’s surprise decision to release veteran Gary Barnidge after the draft. Telfer is a solid blocker. In OTAs and minicamp, McNamara, undrafted from Southern California, showed some real pass catching ability.

The major questions

1. Can Njoku withstand the rigors of one of the most brutal positions in the NFL? Very few rookie tight ends prosper in their first season, and part of the reason is the beating administered by NFL linebackers and safeties.

2. If DeValve can stay healthy, would Hue Jackson employ two tight ends in the pass offense more often as a concession to a deficiency at wide receiver?

3. Can McNamara make up for lost time? Injuries, a transfer from Oklahoma and light production at USC kept him undrafted. But he showed some spark in OTAs.

Position: Specialists.

Roster: Mario Alford, Britton Colquitt, Zane Gonzalez (r), Charley Hughlette, Cody Parkey.

Overview: Alford ended the 2016 season as the return specialist, but that role may be reserved now for Jabrill Peppers. Colquitt was solid in his first season away from Denver and earned a new contract. Gonzalez, enjoying the thin air of Phoenix, was the Lou Groza Award winner and left Arizona State as the all-time FBS school field goal record-holder. He made 13 of 15 from 40 yards or more his senior season and became the first kicker drafted by the Browns (seventh round) since 1989. Parkey showed resilience last year when he recovered from a 3-of-6 debut in Game 3 – which included a miss at the end of regulation – and then made 17 of 19 the rest of the year. Parkey’s kickoffs were consistently deep, too.

The major questions

1. Does Gonzalez’s draft status give him “a leg up” on Parkey in the kicker competition?

2. Didn’t Parkey prove himself in the 13 games after his hastily arranged debut in Game 3? He was 8 of 10 in field goals of more than 40 yards after the debacle in Miami.

3. Can Alford compete with Peppers as the main returner and show enough at receiver to earn a roster spot?

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