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Joe Woods Hints At Minimized Linebacker Position In 2020 Browns Defense
https://www.si.com/nfl/browns/news/joe-woods-minimizing-linebackers

Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods held a conference call with the media on Thursday and the aspect that stood out most if what he said in regards to the linebacker position. When Woods wasn't specifically saying that the Browns were going to try to have fewer of them on the field regularly, he was perhaps lowering expectations on what should be expected from them this season.

Sione Takitaki, last year's third round pick, has said he's primarily learning the weak side linebacker position. Jacob Phillips has said that he's primarily focused on playing the weak side linebacker position. That is the position that both played at their respective colleges, although those roles were dramatically different.

B.J. Goodson stands out as a middle linebacker geared toward stopping the run. Mack Wilson's role seemingly would be to fill in where Goodson cannot in terms of the passing game.

Woods mentioned that he was having all the linebackers crosstrain. This is not necessarily a bad thing on its face. Injuries happen and guys need to be able to step up and fill in, but it also means that players don't have a real position yet.

As an example, when Joe Schobert was with the Browns last year, everyone knew he was the middle linebacker. On any given play, he was in the game and he was the MIKE. Woods may not intend it to sound this way, but the reality is that none of the current linebackers are entrenched anywhere. This is one of the biggest questions for the Browns in training camp, because no one knows where anyone is going to play, let alone start.

Further, Woods went on to explain that he wants to transition to a Dime system. That would have four defensive linemen, six defensive backs and just one linebacker on the field. Woods noted it would take time, but said the goal was to have three safeties on the field consistently.

This should come as no surprise given the amount of investment the Browns have made at the safety position. They signed Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo in free agency, then drafted Grant Delpit in the second round of the draft. The Browns still have a utility player with experience both at free safty as well as the slot in Sheldrick Redwine, who fits into what Woods wants to do.

Everything the Browns have done this offseason has been to minimize the importance of the linebacker position. They released Chris Kirksey, let Joe Schobert leave in free agency and signed a cheap free agent in Goodson, drafted a third round pick in Phillips.

If the Browns find great players at the position, which is certainly what they'd like to do, not unlike what the 49ers were able to do with Dre Greenlaw as a rookie last year, then they will incorporate them into the defensive structure. If they have good players, they will use them, but Woods really seemed to lower what should've already been pretty low expectations for a group of linebackers without a single proven entity.

I think adding Delpit’s athleticism and Joseph’s hitting will help us use few LBs

j/c:

The only things that the Browns are consistent at is continually changing things and losing. Every plan sounds so great and folks get excited. Then, reality sets in and we start the same thing all over again.

A situation Baker should certainly thrive in!

In other words,our LBs suck and you fans should prepare yourselves to watching opposing teams play smashmouth and rack up the yards.
I hate these young,hi tech coordinators with their gimmicky D's worring about passing yardage.
The old adage is still true,if you can't stop the run,the other doesn't have to pass.

This.

Isn’t the exact opposite also true?

Every team plays with two or less linebackers the majority of the time. If other teams are able to figure out how to stop the run we should be able to figure it out also. Having the right players is the most important thing and it remains to be seen whether we do or not. I think Karl Joseph, if healthy, will be perfectly adequate in a linebacker role. I don’t know about literally any of the other players.

J/C

So who are the LBs? Wilson, Taki Taki, Goodson, Philips, Harvey ... sounds like we went dumpster diving for players haha. Who am I missing?

It would be nice if 2 of these 3 ... Taki, Wilson, Phillips just studs out of nowhere. We are due for some good luck like that I hope.

The exact opposite isn't an old adage.All I know about football consists of old adages,so I can't answer your question.

IF Wilson studs out it won’t be out of no where ... he should have been in college last year and if he came out this year he very well could have been a 1st round pick ... he also had his struggles last year like all rookies do but he also flashed ...

I don’t understand why everyone is so down on Mack ... I’m not sure what u expected out of a rookie in that D ...

There is always the possibility that Mack will improve. He should for the reasons you mentioned. We all hope that he will because we are all Browns fans.

At the same time I think you must consider all of the times as Browns fans we have banked on potential and improvement that never came to pass. Over the past two decades it would seem illogical to expect Browns fans to be anything less than skeptical about it.

I remember us drafting Ben Taylor and Kevin Bentley and Andra Davis in the same draft and thinking our LB problems were solved for a decade haha

I have no clue what the last 20 years has to with Mack Wilson ... to me thinking that because we’ve always failed in the past means this cats not gonna develop is what’s illogical ...

Do browns fans not understand what mutually exclusive means ...

Fourth round picks usually don’t turn to be very good especially after they were terrible in their first year.

How do guys drafted in the 1st rnd usually do?

Better than guys drafted in the fourth round. Mack Wilson was not drafted in the first round. What could have been doesn’t matter.

I despise the darn 4/2 .. We will ( as always the last few years ) get killed in the running game over the middle by TE's and running backs. This is so frustrating to me as a fan. You need the rare linebacker ( think Luke Kuechly ) to even come close to making a 4/2 work.

Browns LB's all Vacuum, with a capital S,

^Revised, my first thought was more argumentative and negative.

Not sure what this ^ is in response to, but historically I feel 50% turn into good players. Only 50%.

Ya your right ... he got an entire years experience in the nfl and as of today his draft position means squadoosh ... i think it was the 5th round BTW ...

Dude’s got a chance .... thats all that matters ...

In this case, I think it is probably the way to go.

With the NFL becoming a passing first league, it makes sense.


JMO.

j/c

they must really hate their LB core. I feel like my initial post was exactly what was said above LOL


I said:

I'm to the point where I'd rather play with 6 DB's and 5 DL than trot our this sacrificial joke of an LB group. Maybe we could go 5 DB's 1 LB and 5 DL. The way the FO has been signing DB's and DL it looks like the team thinks that too LOL Either way, it's not great.

Diam, I know you have the island thing going on.......but, what do you think of constantly changing personnel and schemes?

Basically every team plays two linebackers or less the majority of the snaps. This is not some crazy idea Joe Woods came up with while he was lockdown. This is how every team operates.

Gota ask ; Why would Stefanski have a DC run a Defense that your Offense is built to beat ? Great for the practice field .. lol

haha build offense’s self esteem in TC?

It's just different opin's on Defensive schemes .. 15 is sold on a the 4/2 or version there of .. I'm on the other side of the coin..

I’m not sold on anything. Teams just don’t play three linebackers very much anymore. That’s a fact.

On paper the group looks weak, but that doesn't mean it will be weak.

In the end we will probably play 5 DBs over 50% of the time and go with 2 backers. The upgrades on the interior DL should also help their play.

It sucks ... we’ve hired incompetent boobs at every level of this org since our return until KJ ... then we fired him cause the thief’s a moron .... but so far Andy has done well ... I think after all the atrocious hires over the last 20 years put the odds squarely n our favor and we may have found our gm for awhile ... that’d solve a lot of problems ...

If Kev’s the answer we will hopefully be set for years to come and we will become a stabile franchise for the first time in decades ...

Its way to early to know on Andy but i love most of what he did this offseason and am hopeful its not fools gold like Freddie was .. i don’t think it is but the jury hasn’t even started deliberating yet ...

IMO we have made horrific hires at all levels since our return ...

Before u have consistency u need to have competent people in place ... HOPEFULLY we finally have that at the GM & HC levels ... if so say hello to consistency for a change ..

I like most of the moves Berry has made too. However, I wasn't just talking about the FO and coaching. I was also including all the schematic changes. We continually create holes to fit the changes and that sets us back in regards to personnel.

Joe was a true 3-down LBer. Thus, we are going to use two to the three players to fill his departure. Not sure how "smart" that is.

Of course thats not smart ... math says so ... ... and those changes are part of regime changes ... its very rarely a new regime doesn’ come in and install there systems and acquire personal to fir their system ...

It’s also not smart to overpay for guys ... in Andy’s eyes Joe was asking for to much ... KJ didn’t value him enough to start contract talks before the start of Joe’s walk year ... they made have had a cursory convo and the # Joe’s agent gave him was so out of whack with KJ’s valuation there was no need to engage in talks at that point ...

Losing Joe very may well end up being a bad move for both the short and long term ... IF it turns out that way and it turns out Andy made a mistake ... it happens ... as u well know Andy’s gonna make mistakes .. and as u also well know they all do and there’s more mistakes coming .. its the nature of the beast ...

I also want to add ... just cause Kev is new doesn’t mean we won’t be REAL GOOD ... the talents there and there’s plenty of recent examples of first year coaches doing very well and with a lot less talent that we have here ...

j/c

Anyone out there willing to take a shot at explaining what happens in a 4-2 and/in-consideration-of the designations and duties of Will, Mike & Sam? Which two are still on the field?

It’ll either be Wike & Mas or Mill and Wam .... that was easy ... *L* ...

I think we have it. I like what Berry has done. I like the style of O Stefanski wants to play. Not a high risk O, that fits with Bakers style, and both talk the same language with Depodesta.

I have watched all the vids with those guys. You can tell when watching all 3 are very smart people, and they all seem to have a common, shared vision. That is a good thing.

For the past 4-5 years, it just seemed like there were divides. People on a power play type deal. Here, I think all three respect each other. They all know each others lane....Berry is the final say as GM, Stefanski is the gameday coach and sets game strategy, and Depodesta is the guy who gives ideas on the strategy moving forward and augments the scouting department. Verifying or putting a question mark behind a rating...good or bad. Not to have any final say. Just to say the metrics say this and it is opposite of the report. Maybe we need to look again.

Maybe. I won't argue the point.


Sometimes money plays a role as you project forward. Maybe it was determined that Joe wasn't that big of a difference make to pay that much money.

I know this is a stretch, so you can shrink to whatever makes sense to you, but if signing Joe prevented us from signing Myles, would you be good with that? No. I know you wouldn't.

My point is the team has a cap and has a few players to sign. We don't know how the team is thinking of allocation money. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

I stand corrected ! lol ..