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Pre-Camp Player Spotlight

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Pre-Camp Player Spotlight: LB Willie Harvey

Training camp is officially underway in Berea, and although it won't include fans packed along the perimeter of the fields or the same schedule it's had in the past, we'll still have position battles and live football action to digest.

We're all excited to see players like Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry back in a Browns uniform, but what about players fighting for a chance to wear the orange and brown in Week 1?

Over the next couple weeks, we'll highlight players who are poised to be in the battle for spots on the 53-man roster.

The Player: Willie Harvey

Position: Linebacker

Age: 24

Height: 5-11

Weight: 230 lbs

College: Iowa State

Check out photos of the team practicing on Wednesday

Before 2020 training camp: Harvey had to clear several hurdles to make his NFL debut in Week 3 with the Browns last season. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent for rookie minicamp, stuck with the team until the end of training camp and then was signed back to the practice squad before the start of the regular season. When Christian Kirksey suffered an early-season injury, Harvey was called up and carried a special teams role for two weeks. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 but is back and healthy for his second training camp.

It's worth knowing that…: Harvey was as consistent as any linebacker at the college level. He saw instant action as a freshman at Iowa State and ended his college career with 289 tackles, 12.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception. Even though he went undrafted, Harvey managed to turn heads at training camp last year for an aggressive style of play and a knack for lowering the shoulder against ball carriers.

How does he fit? Harvey is one of eight Browns linebackers in a wide open competition for regular season roles. B.J. Goodson, Mack Wilson, Sione Takitaki and 2020 third-round draft pick Jacob Phillips are among the bigger names at the position, but a solid training camp performance from any of the remaining three players can quickly change that. Harvey can't be counted out, and he certainly carries extra value by having special teams experience.

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