Why Maurice Hurst Will Have a Difficult Time Making the Browns Roster

The Cleveland Browns have been aggressively improving their roster as they hope to compete for the Super Bowl. As a result, an impactful role player in Maurice Hurst might find himself on the outside looking in when the team cuts down their roster to 53.

There were a number of great stories from the 2023 season for the Cleveland Browns. One of the best was defensive tackle Maurice Hurst. After two seasons with season-ending injuries that limited him to 41 snaps, Hurst was an impact role player for the Browns, helping elevate the defense to one of the best in the league. Hurst is back and healthy, but the landscape in Cleveland has changed as the Browns prepare for the 2024 season and Hurst now faces an uphill battle to make the opening day roster.

As an undersized, penetrating defensive tackle, Hurst is a great fit in the Browns defense guided by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. He's able to shoot gaps, blowing up runs and generating quick pressures on the opposing quarterback. 

In the 13 games Hurst played, he was an energizer in the middle of the defense. Part of that is just the style Hurst plays. His game is predicated on quickness, beating opponents off the ball to gain an advantage. It's also Hurst's passion that endeared fans, which included his trademark belly rub after making a play. He registered 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss, but it was his 18 pressures that helped to show his full impact.

Unfortunately for Hurst, his season ended as it so often has with an injury. This time, he tore a pec that forced him to miss the last five games of the season. That limited Hurst's leverage and he signed with the Browns on a one-year deal worth $1.17M. Hurst is protected in that $1 million is guaranteed, but that's not enough to prevent the Browns from releasing him or trading him. The injury history is one problem for Hurst making the Browns roster. The ease in which they can dump his contract is another.

A third issue is the numbers. The Browns are likely going to carry ten defensive linemen. As tempting as it is to try to cut a defensive end to allow the Browns to carry six defensive tackles, that's counterproductive for two reasons.

First, the Browns have a strong group of defensive ends. The Browns will have no interest in moving off of Myles Garrett, Za'Darius Smith, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Alex Wright or Isaiah McGuire. This room has a great setup. Three veterans expected to make an impact and two players on rookie contracts. Wright had a promising stretch at the end of the regular season that he's hoping to build on and McGuire is only entering his second season after arguably being a great value in the fourth round.

But even if someone isn't convinced on McGuire, the Browns still won't have a reason to keep Hurst unless there are injuries. There aren't enough snaps to go around and the Browns are trying to replace the snaps Hurst was getting.

The Browns signed Quinton Jefferson to a one-year contract worth $4 million, all of which is guaranteed. Jefferson is a pure pass rusher who can rush anywhere on the defensive front. Jefferson is coming off a season in which he registered six sacks and 29 pressures.

If that wasn't enough, the Browns drafted Mike Hall Jr. in the second round. Hurst's success and fit within the defensive scheme was an argument for why Hall made so much sense for the Browns. With similar physical dimensions, Hall's elite athleticism and he only just turned 21. That gives the Browns reason to believe that he can offer what Hurst did, but they are betting on Hall to become a better version.

As a member of the Jets, Jefferson played a higher percentage of snaps than Hurst did with the Browns. It remains to be seen how much Hall can contribute as a rookie, but if he's able to earn a spot in the rotation, Hurst would be in the way.

The Browns also can't roll into the season with one player that can play the one on running downs. It can't just be Dalvin Tomlinson. The best way to beat the Browns defense is to run the ball effectively. The secondary is loaded and the Browns have no shortage of pass rushers, which includes the reigning defensive player of the year in Garrett.

The Browns want to stop the run early, forcing opponents into obvious passing situations so they can be on the attack. Put in sub package personnel that is oriented to rush the passer. That's going to be important not only in a division that now features Derrick Henry with the Baltimore and a Pittsburgh Steelers offense now coordinated by Arthur Smith, but it's even more important in the postseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl and Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback on the planet. Behind a strong interior offensive line, Isiah Pacheco ran over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship. All four teams that played in the Conference Championships all had viable rushing attacks. The Ravens were heavily criticized because they didn't run the ball enough. It's important for the Browns to protect their linebackers and be stout against the run.

The more opposing offenses can stay on schedule and keep their options open, the more uncertainty it provides for the Browns. The Browns can't dictate what the opponent can do or gear their personnel as effectively.

This was why the Browns signed Tomlinson to anchor their front last year. They were smart to add Shelby Harris to give them a credible run-stopping presence at the three. They need to find a second nose to replace the now departed Jordan Elliott.

Siaki Ika was miserable as a rookie. The former third round pick needs to show dramatic improvement in his second year. The Browns drafted another player that could man the nose in Jowon Briggs out of Cincinnati. Whereas Tomlinson and perhaps Ika can two-gap, taking on multiple blockers, Briggs is a one-gap nose. He's trying to get off the ball as quickly as possible, get into one blocker and drive them into the backfield before the double team has a chance to get there. That might be Schwartz's preference for his scheme, but Briggs is going to have to win the job in camp.

The Browns have used a third and seventh-round pick for that role in their past two drafts. Even if Ika continues to be as bad as he looked his rookie season, the Browns need to find someone that can operate in that role. They've clearly identified it's an issue they need to address.

Currently, Hurst is a valuable insurance policy if the Browns suffer an injury. He's also just good competition for the Browns offense and could prove to be a valuable locker room influence. However, if the defensive line stays healthy, Hurst could end up being traded. They could release him out of respect and let him choose his next destination, but that would cost the Browns cap space and the organization probably isn't thrilled with the idea of Hurst potentially signing with the Ravens or Cincinnati Bengals.

It's possible, but unlikely that Hurst could be released and decide to sign with the Browns practice squad. He was adamant about wanting to return. Hurst has been outspoken about how much he has enjoyed his time in Cleveland. He also loves his teammates with the Browns. But Hurst would be smart to sign somewhere he could play. If he can have another year similar to the one he just had with the Browns and stay healthy, he might be able to leverage a bigger contract in free agency next year.

On one hand, the situation with Hurst is unfortunate. Browns fans still haven't gotten accustomed to the idea of players wanting to play in Cleveland. Couple that with the fact Hurst is a good player. It would be disappointing to see him leave.

However, it's also a sign of the improvement the Browns have made as a franchise. When the Browns  have to trim down the rosters to 53, they will be letting go of players that are likely to be attractive to the other teams. That might produce a trade or few. It's also a testament to the fact the Browns are not just content to run it back and hope they do better. Whether it's been the roster or the coaching staff or consultants, the organization has been aggressively seeking ways to improve.

Part of the reason the Browns made the moves they did is because they cannot bet on Hurst's track record with injuries. They suffered a rash of injuries to the defense at the end of the year that limited them when they got to the playoffs. Just on the defensive line, the Browns lost Hurst and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. Garrett was limited with a shoulder injury. When the Browns entered the playoffs, their pass rush was ineffective. Injuries are not the sole reason for that, but they were a factor.

The Browns also realize it's imperative for them to get younger on the interior. They can't count only on stop gap measures to be impactful on the interior and expect to be sustainable. Hall now becomes the only young three-tech on the roster. The Browns are desperately hoping that one of Ika or Briggs can be that player that can operate at the nose.

Maurice Hurst's predicament is a sign of progress for the Cleveland Browns. If the Browns end up moving on from him as they prepare for the start of the season, it will simultaneously be disappointing to see him go, but should also mean the Browns will have an excellent defensive line this year.