RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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CHICAGO ― The first test against outside competition for the Browns is here.
Cleveland will play at the reigning NFC North champion Chicago Bears in its first preseason game Aug. 15. Or, the Browns will face at least some of the NFC North champion Chicago Bears, who already have announced multiple starters, most notably, quarterback Caleb Williams, will not play in the game.
Browns coach Todd Monken, meanwhile, has already said he plans to play most of his starters, although the lengthy injury list may preclude a number of those. What we do know is that Deshaun Watson will start at quarterback and is expected to play the first half, with Shedeur Sanders coming in for the third quarter.
Regardless of which starters may or may not be playing for either team, there are still a number of players under the microscope each time the Browns play a preseason game. There also are whole position groups in the same boat.
To preview the preseason opener between the Browns and Bears in Chicago, let's dive into those most under the microscope.
Cleveland Browns position group under the microscope at Chicago Bears: Offensive line
We could've gone a number of different ways with this, but this was always the position group ranked right behind quarterback as the biggest question mark on the team. At least going into the season, it seems the four spots that felt firm coming out of the offseason program remain that now — Spencer Fano at left tackle, Zion Johnson at left guard, Elgton Jenkins at center and Tytus Howard at right tackle. Teven Jenkins and KT Leveston have been fighting it out for the right guard spot, with Jenkins looking like the favorite if he can actually stay on the field. Leveston has closed the gap in part because Jenkins has been in and out of practice over the first two-and-a-half weeks with minor nicks. The real question is how long the first group will be on the field. Monken made it clear he had no intention of playing his first offensive line all of the first half, which means opportunities for Leveston and Jack Conley at the guard spots, Dawand Jones and Austin Barber at the tackles, as well as Luke Wypler at center.
5 Cleveland Browns players under the microscope at Chicago Bears
KT Leveston, guard
Leveston has already been mentioned above, but that doesn't prevent his inclusion here. The third-year pro out of Kansas State University was thrown into the starting lineup in 2025 at tackle and struggled. However, Leveston has been one of the real pleasant surprises since Monken, offensive line coach George Warhop and assistant offensive line coach Bobby Johnson elected to move him inside to guard. He certainly seems like he's more comfortable there. However, this is a chance to really show what he can do, especially not having to go against teammate Mason Graham all the time.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety
The rookie second-round pick out of the University of Toledo didn't really have much of an on-field presence during the offseason program, but he's more than made up for it in training camp. It's about once a day so far that McNeil-Warren made some kind of play on the defense that reminds you why the Browns felt like it was a steal to be able to trade back into the second round and get him. The fact Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman aren't likely to play a ton of snaps against Chicago means more opportunities for defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg to move McNeil-Warren around and try some different things out.
Winston Reid, linebacker
Reid has been one of the linebackers to benefit from Carson Schwesinger having been sidelined since Aug. 1. Although Easton Mascarenas-Arnold has moved into Schwesinger's spot for now, there are snaps to be had at the third linebacker position once the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year does get back onto the field. Mascarenas-Arnold has the pole position right now. Reid can change that with a strong showing here.
Tyreak Sapp, defensive tackle
The undrafted free agent rookie out of the University of Florida has received more run than he could've ever expected when he initially signed. That's a statement on the rash of defensive tackle injuries that have left five of the Browns' top six on the sidelines, and even Graham was out for a couple of days. Sapp, though, has taken advantage of the opportunities to get steady run in the rotation with the first defensive group along with Graham and Adin Huntington, a second-year pro who's moved inside from end. Sapp's big, physical and athletic, traits he's showcased so far in camp. It's eventually going to become a numbers game once those injured tackles come back. Sapp's opportunities come every time he gets a chance to play.
Deshaun Watson, quarterback
You knew this one was coming, didn't you? It's seemingly been the only topic of conversation since April around this team. Watson's going to be interesting to watch for a variety of reasons as he takes the field for the first time in a game since Oct. 20, 2024. There's the obvious rust factor, as few can forget the way he looked in his first preseason game with the Browns after the 2022 trade in Jacksonville, where "awful" may have been the kindest thing to say about the showing. It'll actually have been a longer time off for Watson this time around because of the year-and-a-half absence. He's coming off mostly a strong week-and-a-half of practices. The training wheels come off and it's out of the nest Watson goes now. Does he provide a glimmer of hope in the performance, or is it more of the same Watson we've seen since he's been in Cleveland?
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Who's under a microscope in Browns' preseason opener at Chicago Bears?
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