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Report: Boddy-Calhoun Could See Time At Safety For Browns

With Kai Nacau gone, could Boddy-Calhoun fill the role as the Browns backup FS? One report believes so.

Jared Mueller - 3 hours ago

The Cleveland Browns have one of the game's best slot corners in Briean Boddy-Calhoun but have added four cornerbacks already this offseason who can also play inside.

E.J. Gaines, T.J Carrie and Terrance Mitchell all have experience inside while the #4 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft Denzel Ward is set to play outside, he has the speed and quickness to handle players in the slot as well.

This led many Browns fans to wonder what the future might hold for Boddy-Calhoun. Far too often, when a team moves to a new Front Office leader, players with talent are sacrificed due to fit or just replaced because the new guy wanted "their" guy.

Gaines, Carrie and Mitchell all can fill the role of slot corner at least adequately while also being guys brought in by new GM John Dorsey.

According to a report from Brendan Leister, a former contributor here at The OBR, Boddy-Calhoun could also serve another role for the team this year as well: backup free safety behind Damarious Randall.

With the cutting of Kai Nacau this morning, the backup Free Safety role is in flux. Some wondered if late round DB Simeon Thomas could wind up there but Leister ended that speculation as well by saying he is going to be a corner.

Boddy-Calhoun played some safety last year and could excel in that role. The big question for the Browns, and DC Gregg Williams, is what is the best use of his talents and how can he use all of these new DBs best?

With Ward, Gaines, Carrie, Boddy-Calhoun and Mitchell at the top of the cornerback depth chart, new addition Damarious Randall and Jabrill Peppers the starting safeties and Derrick Kindred backing up Peppers, the Browns have the makings of a talented and interesting secondary.

So many added players and so much depth will allow Williams the flexibility to use Boddy-Calhoun in a variety of ways, including as the backup to Randall at FS.

What do you think about Briean Boddy-Calhoun also being the Browns backup FS?

My guess is that BBC is our third starting corner. Ward, Gaines, and BBC with Carrie coming in as the fourth corner (if we ever take a linebacker off the field this year). Also, using BBC as a backup safety/using him as a free safety while Randall moves down to corner temporarily makes a lot of sense. Confusing offenses is never bad.

One other thing, I know this thread isn't about him, but I don't see how Jamar Taylor even makes it to training camp. There is no spot on the team for him.

I love BBC. (HA!)

It wouldn't surprise me. That kid has quietly become a stud. Nothing will change because the coaches have made no secret of their fondness for him. Personally, I see Gaines and Mitchell as depth behind Ward, Carrie and BBC. Wilson and Thomas, for now, will be 3rd string. I think Taylor will ultimately be cut.

It won't shock me, however, given Williams has shown his interest in cross-training players at two different positions.

Yeah, I'd say Taylor's days are numbered here. Trade bait, obviously nobody bit, so he'll be a cut IMO

"The Cleveland Browns have one of the game's best slot corners in Briean Boddy-Calhoun"

That is still true

You may be right, but what if it ends up one of the guys we picked up as a FA is the one to leave.

I wasn't even considering any of those guys. Not including those guys we have at least five guys who can player corner.

I guess that's true, we do have a whole lotta bodies to chose from.

How does our secondary shakeout anyway?

We have Damarious Randall and Denzel Ward starting for sure (at free safety and corner respectively).

Jabrill Peppers and Derrick Kindred should be competing against each other for the strong safety snaps. I feel like either can be successful. One could even argue that both should be on the field the majority of the time (replacing one of the linebackers).

And then we have E.J. Gaines, Terrance Mitchell, T.J. Carrie, BBC, and a bunch of random dudes competing for probably six corner spots.

Is this what it feels like to have depth?

I feel like our ideal defensive alignment is as follows:

Garrett Ogunjobi Brantley Ogbah
Kirksey Peppers
Ward BBC Gaines
Randall Kindred

The above alignment would leave Schobert and Collins on the bench. Maybe move Ogbah or Garrett inside, taking out Brantley, with Collins as a pass rusher? That still leaves Schobert on the bench.

What a weird thing to have too many quality players.

What part of his production will be missed. JT on press? JT whiffing on run support? Burned deep?

I can't see much for him to do with these other guys here.

I wouldn't say Taylor is on the cutting block per-say, but if he's benched and or released at a later date - it won't come as a shock. I can't wait to see all these new faces, both safety and corner combined.

May the best talent win it out.

Is, "The Beeb" his nickname?

Keep him at slot.. He's not a FS.

Agreed. To win, we need better corner play. Hopefully to challenge receivers more. Not even shut down, but better than last year's.

Don't matter. Antonio Brown can beat all of them.

The right way to play Antonio Brown, I feel is, as we saw a few years back against Bengal receiver? , The receiver lined up against a different defender every snap, and saw all of them so they kept him guessing.

I was brainstorming ways to stop "Antonio Brown a couple weeks ago, here's what I came up with.

Did I say Hines Ward, UHH, I meant Antonio Brown, (I'm living in the past)(changes all the previous mentions from "Hines Ward" to "Antonio Brown")

Ways to beat Antonio Brown, when the Browns are playing the Steelers:

1. Bribe him, pay him money.
2. injure him, deal with the league later.
3. Can't beat em' Join em'

4. Nothing, Standard defense, stay the course.

5. He faces a different man DB on each play.

6. Double him, 1 low, 1 deep.

7. Normal, plus Safety help.
8. Zone.
9. Ignore him hope to outscore him.
10.

I gave that post to offer understanding of this suggestion of a defense regarding BBC and others.

BBC, covers the third receiver all day.
Jamar Taylor covers the 2nd receiver all day.

Kindred and Peppers as the Safeties all day.

Antonio Brown faces everybody else in double coverage all day.

one snap, Mitchel and Ward. one snap, Damarious Randall and EJ Gaines.
one snap, TJ Carrie and someone else.

I know this is 6 db's, I guess the Browns need 12 defenders to have a chance.

I think Ward will keep AB in check myself. We'll see but I'm not to worried about him. We have the advantage of having a coach that knows Pitts weaknesses and what slows AB down best now.

Best way to slow down AB is to get to Ben before he gets the ball to AB.

Simples.

As for BBC, talent that we developed and he's still learning, still improving. Is he Revis Island? No.

Can he contribute in an improving defensive backfield with hopefully an improving pass rush? Absolutely.
Part of the future solution and not part of the problem. Stay the course with him.

In games vs the Browns, I've not any seen Been frustrated because someone was pass rushing him, (in fact I think he thrives facing the blitz because it helps him know where to go with the ball)

The only times I've seen Ben frustrated vs the Browns he was going to the sideline after incompletions ended a drive, he had forced in to a covered player, and he had appeared to not know where to go with the ball.

So I'd say the best way to stop Ben is to disguise your coverage and confuse his thinking.

In that case just run out 4 17 year old girls in mini skirts to play DB.

I really prefer Boddy-Calhoun as a slot CB. However, Williams likes to move pieces around on the field, and Boddy-Calhoun is a useful player in a bunch of roles.

He could be like Duke Johnson last year, who was going to be the slot receiver .... except that he didn't. He moved around the field a lot, but frequently started out in the backfield, and motioned to a bunch of different positions. He caught a ton of passes, but was the 3rd down back.

I've been reading throughout this thread... so stop me if I've missed something.

The idea tossed around in this thread is that BBC is a good, young slot corner... grading out very well at the slot CB position....

So we should move him to safety? It looks like we're actually going to develop someone at a position, so we should move him to another position?

Someone please point out what I've missed.

Nope, I think you've summed up things just about right, and this covers nearly any player we've ever developed here. If we could dig back far enough, I'm sure someone at some point suggested moving Joe Thomas inside because we needed a Guard.

Jamar Taylor is useful in coverage as the primary guy vs NFL Clubs #2 best receivers, he has experience on the Browns doing this, 2 years, and he's been adequate.

Every year there are guys on the Browns which make the team, like BBC, Kai Nacua, and Tre, Tre, and Tre, the three tra named individuals a couple years ago, all of whom would struggle as the primary guy vs NFL Clubs #2 best receivers.

Therefore, the Browns are still better With Jamar Taylor than without him in my opinion.

Cue the link to any player I like gets cut or traded during the offseason anyways, so who knows what happens next.

I'm not trying to slam anyone on the board or the board in general... moreso the article. I mean... someone got paid to write that.

I think "back-up" safety is the key word. I also think versatility is important in GW's defense. I would expect him to keep playing nickle and also learn safety.

There are already a bunch of guys among our DB's that can play multiple positions and that will allow GW to confuse offenses.

This is how I take the whole BBC at FS gossip. He will continue to be what he's been good at, in the slot. May have some versatility and Gregg may scheme up something for confusion here and there.