We had some questions answered about the defense and 11 other Browns training camp takeaways
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/08...-takeaways.htmlBy Dan Labbe, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If I’m being absolutely, 100 percent honest, I’m usually ready for this week of the football calendar, when we flip from training camp to a normal practice schedule and the team starts getting into game mode. There comes a point in every camp where you’ve seen everything you need to see, especially with preseason games playing on top of it.
This year, as with everything else, is completely different. The Browns had 14 practices scheduled for open viewing by the media, including Sunday’s practice at FirstEnergy Stadium. In the end, we saw 12, losing one practice to the false positive COVID-19 tests and another when the Browns had to move indoors, an already small space made smaller when they moved the weight room into their fieldhouse to better socially distance inside the facility.
This was a camp unlike any I’ve covered. The free reign to roam the perimeter of the practice fields to watch what you wanted was gone. We talked to players and coaches on Zoom instead of in-person. There were no fans, save for a few who tried to get a glimpse between the fence posts before security chased them away. Everyone was trying to do the best they could given the circumstances. (And, yes, in the end, it’s still covering football, so no one’s complaining.)
Browns training camp 2020 will be memorable. Every day we brought you observations from practice. To wrap it all up, here are 12 takeaways from the whole thing:
1. We learned enough about the linebackers
We won’t know what this linebacking corps will truly be until they start playing real football games -- and, oh boy, will they get tested early going against Lamar Jackson and Baltimore -- but we at least have some clarity on who will play.
B.J. Goodson appears to have the middle locked down. Sione Takitaki has been solidly with the first team. The only question is what they will do to replace Mack Wilson. Rookie Jacob Phillips is an option. So is Tae Davis. The third linebacker isn’t as important in the modern NFL as it used to be, but we’ll keep an eye on what they do there when the season starts.
2. There’s depth at cornerback
It’s safe to feel OK about the depth in the secondary, especially since we’ve seen it tested and it has held up. Kevin Johnson lacerated his liver and M.J. Stewart stepped up -- at least until he hurt his hamstring. Greedy Williams hurt his shoulder and Terrance Mitchell played well in his place. There were even unexpected performances, like Donovan Olumba, a big corner who had an opportunity to step in and make plays. There are thin positions on the defense, but cornerback doesn’t appear to be one of them.
3. Adrian Clayborn was an important addition
I don’t know what Clayborn will bring on the field this season. It certainly seems he has something left in the tank. He had the third-highest pass rush grade on Atlanta last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and had the most pressures and hurries despite playing only 439 snaps. It’s why he was such an underrated signing to begin with.
On top of production, having a veteran presence is always important. The defensive line already has Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson -- and Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi are both four years in -- but Clayborn, at 32 years old with a Super Bowl ring, adds to the room in more ways than just on the field.
There were a few times after practice where Clayborn took Porter Gustin, who rose up the ranks to play in place of Garrett when he wasn’t practicing, off to the side and spent time working alongside him on one of the dummies. Veterans matter, and veterans going that extra mile really matters.
(This is also where Vernon gets credit for getting spotted working with Jedrick Wills after practice.)
4. The same goes for Malcolm Smith
For many of the same reasons, Smith was a nice addition. He doesn’t have the recent production of Clayborn, but the linebacker room is young and they lost Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert, two veteran leaders. Bringing a player like Smith, who has won and played on elite defenses, into your building is a good thing.
5. KhaDarel Hodge is a name to know
We spend so much time talking about third receiver, but the presence of Kareem Hunt and the system Kevin Stefanski is installing makes it seem somewhat of a moot point. Hodge is a guy who hit the ground running in camp and kept it up after leaving for a few days for personal reasons. Rashard Higgins always feels like the easy answer, but it’s worth noting how long the Browns waited to bring him back and how much they’re paying him. It would be surprising if he didn’t make the roster, but writing him in pen as the third receiver doesn’t seem guaranteed. It’s a little bit of track record vs. upside.
Hodge had just four catches last season, but three of them were for first downs and were ten yards or more, including a 41-yarder against Pittsburgh.
6. Will kicker be a problem?
There was no kicking competition this year and Austin Seibert had some good days. It was also a little concerning to see Seibert, after making seven in a row in a kicking drill, miss wide into the Dawg Pound end on Sunday and then miss on end-of-game scenarios into the same end.
Seibert’s season could realistically go either way. He could lock in and develop into a reliable kicker or he could struggle and leave the Browns looking for a replacement. The one thing you don’t want, especially if you believe you have a chance to grab one of the seven playoff spots this year, is have your kicking game cost you wins.
7. There are still questions at safety
Talk about a high-ceiling/low-floor position. The Browns are counting heavily on Karl Joseph, a former first-round pick the Raiders let walk, and Andrew Sendejo, a veteran who graded out fine last year, at least on PFF, despite bouncing between Minnesota and Philadelphia.
The loss of Grant Delpit is killer (obviously). Safety was one of the positions the Browns left somewhat open in free agency and used a high draft pick to fill it. There’s a lot of pressure on Sheldrick Redwine now and we don’t know much about the type of player he is. He’ll get a chance to show us. He could be the key to this thing working without Delpit.
8. Curtis Weaver is intriguing
The Browns claimed Weaver, a fifth-round pick, from Miami and placed him on injured reserve with a foot injury, the ultimate player stash.
Weaver won Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and holds the conference record for career sacks.
PFF ranked Weaver as their No. 26 overall prospect in the entire draft last season, even while questioning his athleticism. The grading website ranked Browns third-round pick Jordan Elliott as its No. 23 overall prospect.
Elsewhere, Weaver was ranked as the seventh-best edge rusher in the draft by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and his No. 65 overall prospect, ahead of Elliott.
So this is a really interesting, low-risk stash.
9. The focus was on the top
Normally you get a few good third and even fourth-string reps in training camp -- a Garrett Gilbert series or two each day. The practices we watched focused heavily on the top two groups, which makes sense because the Browns are trying to gain clarity on their roster but also get guys ready to play a real football game on September 13. So we didn’t see many Gilbert or Kevin Davidson-led drives.
10. On the offensive line
The good news: I never even noticed Wyatt Teller. Of course, we didn’t have great sight lines, especially to see how interior lineman were playing, but it didn’t seem like Teller was ever an issue at right guard. We’ll have a better view when the games start, but not noticing a guard is a compliment -- unless he’s doing somersaults.
The potential of not having Tretter for the opener -- and, if that’s the case, likely for the home opener four days later -- is worrisome. It’s nothing against Nick Harris, it’s just Tretter is a perfect fit for this offense, a veteran you don’t need to even think about regarding his center duties and one of the guys you could just write in pen to be out there and be reliable, especially facing an AFC championship contender right out of the gate.
11. The COVID-19 progress
You always write and say this cautiously, but the NFL has to be thrilled with how the last month has gone. Reserve/COVID-19 lists have dwindled. The individual bubbles appear to be working. The worst thing to happen so far is the batch of false positives.
If sports has taught us anything about the virus, it’s the effectiveness of testing, masking, isolating and contact-tracing and attempting to limit contact to people whose behaviors you trust match yours.
The next hurdles are fighting complacency and moving the bubbles. Regarding the latter, the NFL has an advantage over Major League Baseball since teams generally travel later in the day Saturday and go directly from the stadium to the airport on Sundays to fly home right after the game.
12. Bold prediction
Just kidding. I’m going to wait as long as I can to make a prediction on the season. I’m still stinging from 10-6 last year. Stay tuned.
