The Cleveland Browns have arguably the deepest roster in the NFL in 2021.
That is a good and bad problem to have.
While depth is an asset, it does lead to making difficult decisions on players’ futures when the final roster cut happens.
On Tuesday, August 31, NFL teams are required to cut down from their 80-person rosters to 53-man rosters.
For the Browns, that means a lot of hard calls on both sides of the ball.
One player who did not make the cut was defensive tackle Marvin Wilson
The #Browns are waiving rookie DT Marvin Wilson, source said.
The most coveted undrafted player back in May, Wilson is wanted back on Cleveland's practice squad — but the other 31 teams have a shot at him on waivers first.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 30, 2021
Who Is Marvin Wilson?
Wilson was an undrafted free agent out of Florida State in 2021.
His best college season was in 2019.
Because of a disappointing 2020 season, his draft stock dropped.
The Browns were one of several teams interested in signing him after the draft.
They offered him a $30,000 signing bonus and a guaranteed base salary of $162,000.
The Browns hoped to see the Wilson of 2019 competing at camp, but he fell short of expectations.
What was disappointing about Marvin Wilson during the preseason was he didn't flash the toolbox of moves that he had in college. He had spins, swipes, clubs, rips, humps, swims, tosses, chained them together too, and we just didn't see any of that this month.
— Sam Penix (@Sam_Penix) August 31, 2021
Wilson’s Future
Right now, no one knows exactly what will happen with Wilson before Week 1.
The Browns want to sign him to the practice squad, but Wilson may garner interest from other teams.
Comparing Wilson To Malik McDowell
Haven’t seen it talked about a lot but this preseason McDowell 100% looks back to the player he was promised to be coming out of Michigan State https://t.co/nTNTJkxs3f
— Mike Renner (@PFF_Mike) August 30, 2021
Wilson was on the same roster with defensive tackle Malik McDowell.
The Browns offered McDowell a second chance, and he maximized it.
McDowell was a 2017 second-round draft pick for the Seattle Seahawks.
He was in an ATV accident weeks before training camp.
Off-the-field problems followed, and McDowell did not get a chance to play until 2021.
McDowell did everything possible to earn a spot on the roster.
Joel Bitonio on Malik McDowell: "You can tell why he was a second round pick. He's big, he's powerful… He's been disruptive during the pre season. Jack Conklin who played with him in college said he's becoming his old self again."
— Nick Karns (@karnsies817) August 25, 2021
Comparing Wilson’s performance to McDowell’s during the 2021 preseason could be one of the reasons Wilson was released by the Browns.
Wilson’s future is yet to be determined.
As teams form rosters and deal with any aftermath due to injuries or other issues, Wilson could get a chance elsewhere.
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