DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Ray Horton to rush Kruger, play Shelton more, dust off Mingo

'Ray Horton to rush Paul Kruger, play Danny Shelton more, dust off Barkevious Mingo'

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By Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland.com on February 18, 2016 at 10:07 PM, updated February 18, 2016 at 10:42 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Paul Kruger walked out the door frustrated with his role, Danny Shelton grappled with coming off the field so much, and Barkevious Mingo mostly bit his tongue but wondered if he might not be better off elsewhere.

All three Browns -- and others -- will have a chance to play to their strengths in 2016, according to defensive coordinator Ray Horton.

Horton has studied film of the 2015 Browns and is already devising ways to get the most out of his players. What he saw was a group of big-name, big-money players who underachieved.

The Browns finished 27th in total defense, 30th against the run and 28th with 29 sacks,

"If you give me the names that you mentioned, I'll be ready to go,'' he said during his introductory press conference Thursday.

Here was Horton's take on some of the key players:

1. Kruger will go forward instead of backward

Kruger tumbled from 11 sacks in 2014 to 2.5 last season. At season's end, he lamented his role, especially dropping back in coverage. In addition, he didn't have a premier pass-rusher on the other side to take some attention away.

"We have to help him,'' said Horton. "We have to be able to give him a Batman to his Robin or a Robin to his Batman, whoever he wants to be in the equation. We have to give him help on the other side. Obviously in this league, you can't just rush. You can't be one-dimensional. You can't rush all the time. You've got to drop. You've got to do different things. Whether we rush eight guys or whether we rush three, you have to do what's called on the defense. We are going to give him opportunities. There is no question about it.''

Under Horton in 2013, Kruger had only 4.5 sacks. But when he gets back to town in April, Horton will sit down with Kruger and what can be done better in 2016.

"He's one of our elite players who has to play better for us,'' said Horton. "We will give him every opportunity to like the defense, to rush. He is going to rush so I want him to stay in and rush. He won't be going out. I want him to stay in and rush. He will get his opportunities."

2. Shelton will be the three-down player the Browns drafted

Shelton admitted that his biggest adjustment to the NFL was standing on the sidelines on third down. That will change under Horton, who studied Shelton at Washington.

"Danny wasn't the first person that contacted me but the first player that came in,'' said Horton. "Danny can be a unique player for us. He's really, really bright, intelligent, very outgoing. He wants to do well. He wants to succeed. He wants to be part of a championship defense. We are going to try to give him every opportunity to do that.''

That means keeping him on the field on passing downs, which he didn't do much last season. For as high a motor guy as Shelton, it hurt his productivity -- and spirit.

"I don't want him to always have to come off the field," Horton said. "I want him to be able to stay on the field as much as we want him on the field. I just talked to him. I met him. I said, 'I'm looking forward to working with you on April 4.' He's going to be a big part of our plans. Obviously, he was our No. 1 draft pick last year, and we want to utilize his talent."

3. Barkevious Mingo will have something to do

Mingo played sparingly in 2015, and the Browns contemplated trading him in November. Horton liked Mingo as the sixth pick in the 2013 draft, but his sack production disappeared after recording one in each of his first three games. Mingo had only two in his final 12 games that season, a total of two in 2014 when he was used as a coverage 'backer, and a none in 2015.

That's four sacks in last 43 games. Can he still still make an impact off the edge?

"I hope so,'' said Horton. "He's a tall, lean, fast young man. We have to utilize that. Now, what do we have on the table for him? Some things different than it's been in the past. Hopefully, he will come in and say, 'I embrace what you are trying to do with me, and I'll do whatever you ask me to do.' We have to do something to utilize his God-given ability."

But he made no promises it will be rushing off the edge, which is what he was drafted to be.

"I see him hopefully as a play-making member of our defense,'' he said. "Where he will line up, I don't know yet. It depends on what he can handle for us."

5. Joe Haden will be valued

Haden's season was cut short by a concussion, but in the early going, he felt disrespected by coach Mike Pettine regarding Haden's decision not to play in San Diego with a broken finger. Pettine apologized for his comments, but the damage was done.

Horton plans to change the vibe. A former defensive back, he coached Haden to a Pro Bowl season in 2013 and plans to get the best out of him in 2016.

"Joe will be a vital part,'' he said. "He's one of our elite players who has to play better. I told him that. I said, 'Are you ready to go?' He said, 'Yes sir.' And I said, 'I'll see you on April 4.' I love Joe's athletic ability. I love his leadership ability. As long as he is healthy, he'll be on the field starting for us. I expect good things from Joe Haden."

6. Justin Gilbert will be asked to step up

Horton will demand that Gilbert live up to being the eighth pick in 2014. Will he be able to coax out of him what Pettine and former defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil couldn't?

"I remember he picked a pass off of (Colts quarterback) Andrew Luck and returned it for a touchdown,'' said Horton. "That's what I want from him. I want him to use his God-given ability to play football at a high level. That's what I want from Justin Gilbert."

7. Linebacker Chris Kirksey will be challenged to become elite

"Whether you're a starter who has been in the league for a while who has a Super Bowl ring or whether you are a young free agent, we need you guys to get better,'' Horton said. "Chris is one of those guys. He's going to be probably a starter for us. We'll continue to show them film of other players on other teams. One of the things that we are going to try to impart with our players is 'This is how champions do it.' ... There is a way on the field and off the field to do things."

I still have my doubts about Mingo...

You mean he's gonna actually have Kruger do what he was suppose to do

That fact that playing the players in their assigned position is news worthy is really said for Browns fans.

Thanks, o Neil!!!!

....but, not about the other guys, including Horton?

Well, Horton rushed Kruger like crazy in 2013 and he only netted 4.5 sacks. I hope this works out but I wouldn't get your hopes up. Kruger's best season was under O'Neill, by the way.

Cornerback?

I feel you, but his worse season was also under o Neil since he's been with the Browns, so there's that.

4.5, 11, 2.5 respectively. Me saying 'best' is a relative term. Overall, I just don't think Kruger is that good. We don't need one pass rusher... we need two.

Dang, you don't think Krogers numbers will improve if we get another guy on the opposite side?

Our you think our LB core needs an overhaul in general?

Kruger is a slightly above average player who should not be relied upon to be 'The Man' so to speak. He excels when he is the #2 guy and has a #1 pass rusher opposite him.

The Browns tried to make him a #1 guy, which he is not.

My amateur opinion is what I felt in 2013 when we signed Kruger. We paid too much for him. The better of the two signings was Bryant. Kruger had one good year in Baltimore because he got playing time from injuries and cashed in on that. Even in 2014, his best year here, I remember a sacks coming from being completely unblocked....I'm thinking Carr and Brees as examples.

I guess I think Kruger is 'ok'. I don't think he is anything special. Did playing him more in coverage effect his sack numbers? I guess it's possible. But again, Horton rushed the hell out of Kruger in 2013 and there wasn't much production there either.

Perhaps the consolation prize in all this, if we don't want to go strictly on sack stats to prove a player's worth, it just the overall disruption of timing by the pressure he caused.....which he did at times. Still, I don't think he's someone to cash in on for significant pass rushing ability.

However, if we improve other aspects of the D, everything tends to improve. But improving the players themselves adds to that even more.

I think they will. Kruger is a pretty decent player.

Is there a #1 guy in FA we can get not named Von Miller?

We can draft Bosa or Spence.

I think they try and get a guy through the draft. I don't see it happening in FA.

You've been pimping drafting Spence but bashing Gordon....interesting.

I'm not sure what Horton, or any coach, is going to get outta Mingo. No strength, no threat - he'll be used just as we did the last two years, a drop linebacker. It's the only thing he can do effectively with his size/frame/strength and speed.

I think being more aggressive with Kruger will help Mingo immensely.

Even if just an "ok" player coming off the edge still has to be accounted for and add Mingos speed to the other side will give the Ol more things to consider...now if we just add a stud ILB you may see this D make some good leaps production wise.

I just like the idea of playing to a players strength... if in fact they do AND not give in the lip service it got last year.

Olivier Vernon could be possibly.

Bruce Irvin is more like a #2 in my opinion.

JPP maybe?

Tambi Hali can do it but he's getting old.

If you want a guy that won't come off of suspension until November, Aldon Smith might come cheap.

That's all I got.

I don't think Vernon is a great fit in a 3-4. Not a lot of guys his size play OLB at a high level.

Bruce Irvin I think would improve as a 3-4 OLB, but he might run into some of the same problems Mingo has.

I prefer players with ten fingers.

Hali and Smith, no thanks.

If I had to pick one from that list, I'd probably pick Irvin.

Not at all!

(...And by not at all I mean yes, somewhat. lol )

consensus is that Bosa would be DE in a 3-4 as well. Matt Wilhelm, who played at Ohio State and played LB in an NFL 3-4 for 9 years, agrees without question.

Certainly, but the key (IMO) is a greatly improved and effective pass rush.

What good will it be to have Shelton on the field during clear passing downs (unless he drastically improves from last year's performance)?

I saw a play last year where Shelton was so tired that he didn't even get into his stance. Not sure if playing him for more snaps is such a great idea.

Yeah It's not a great list at all.

I don't like Irvin much. If anything, I would move him inside in a 3-4. If I had to go with one, it would be Vernon. 275 is a little big, but he does have 29 sacks over 4 years. The tweener is a better 3-4 OLB than 4-3 DE in my opinion.

Someone posted a link to an interview where he said he needs to be in better shape.

Awesome.

How come he didn't think he needed to be in better shape last year?

Fatties gonna fat.

In Shelton's defense, he played a huge percentage of the snaps at Washington.

I wonder, since he elected to finish school, if all that time missed that would've been offseason workouts/OTAs, hindered him from a condition standpoint?,

That's a possibility I hadn't thought of.

He also didn't have to work as hard to fight through blocks because he was so much stronger than everyone else.

Kind of along the same lines as where you guys are going, there's a story circulating around about how rookies are not in football shape because they spend all their time prepping for combine and pro days. It hurts their first years. Belichek was the main source of the article, but then one of his former players added a little bit at the end saying it it wasn't for the combine, New England would never have signed him.

Interesting piece. I'm expecting Shelton to look more at home on an NFL defensive line next season.

I like what Horton has said in the main, even if it seems to be stating the obvious.

Shelton has a long way to go I feel, but it's only his second year, and Mingo is a real conundrum, but whatever the top level of performance either of these guys can produce is, I guess my hope is that by showing faith in them and allowing them to do more of what is natural or familiar, the coaching staff can then make adjustments from a position of higher player belief and confidence.

Here it is:

Browns' DT Danny Shelton with The Golden Boyz
While volunteering on 'Random Acts of Kindness Day,' Browns' defensive tackle joins Hammer and Emmett to talk about improving from last season and dropping weight.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14795584

He'll casually say he's good, thanks.

Asked to "step up" or asked to "get to steppin"?