I like this pick-up when we made it. One of the few bright spots last year, IMO.

Jamar Taylor most improved cornerback of 2016

Cleveland got good value in a trade with the Dolphins last off-season.
by Josh Edwards

Jamar Taylor was the most improved cornerback in 2016 according to Pro Football Focus.

The Cleveland Browns cornerback was the No. 106 cornerback during the 2015 season with the Miami Dolphins with a grade of 36.7 on a scale to 100. Last season, he was the No. 19 cornerback with a grade of 82.8 - an increase of 46.1.

"Taylor was sent from Miami to Cleveland via swapping seventh-rounders during the 2016 NFL Draft. A key reason why he showed such drastic improvement had to do with how he was deployed. With the Dolphins, Taylor played only 5 percent of snaps in the slot. In Cleveland, he spent 32 percent of his snaps there. Because of this, he found more success shutting down out routes (51.3 passer rating allowed), slants (62.5), and crossing routes (48.8). After finding himself ranked 106th overall among CBs in 2015, Taylor emerged as our 19th-ranked CB in 2016."

The Browns have done a great job of facilitating trades. They need to capitalize on acquired Draft choices.

The California native had 57 tackles and three interceptions last season. He, like other returning defenders, will have to go through an off-season of coaching changes, however. Gregg Williams is the team's newest defensive coordinator while DeWayne Walker and Jerod Kruse will lead the defensive backs.

Taylor is expected to start with Joe Haden next season. The cornerback position is a popular position of need for the Browns in mock draft scenarios though.

Link

that's good stuff.

let's hope he continues to improve. Him and Haden will hopefully improve with the front 7 improving this offseason after the draft.

Hopefully we can continue to see improvement under the same defensive coaching staff. . .

i think Taylor is young and will get better. not so sure about joe. after we take mg I think free safety and cb should be the next draft priorities.

I was surprised by him last year ... he and shelton and kirksey were bright spots

According to article he plays great in the slot, and that's why he did good here.
Get a rookie that can step into #2 corner, or even better slide joe #2. Pair those with Taylor in the slot, not too bad.
But the safeties are horrible. Best hope is we get 1 starter from draft, and get more pressure to help the safeties

We could argue that we have solid 3man depth at CB
Haden, Taylor, Boddy.

Taylor and Boddy are nickel/Dime CB's we still need a #1 or #2 to team with Haden ... JMHO

Haden hasn't been good since 2014. We shouldn't be relying on him for much.

I wouldn't be surprised though, that if we started winning, his injury occurances started going down..

I'm not saying anything, I'm just saying..

Except to run scared from AFCN WR's 4 times a year.

The injuries he's had have been pretty legit. It's hard to play with/come back from injuries. They explain a lot more about his poor play than us losing. We have sucked for his entire time with the team, why would he just randomly stop playing hard the past two seasons?

i forgot how much people dislike haden around here.

I like Haden have defended him a lot over the years, but he has not been good for the last two years (because of injuries). My guess is that not many players return to All-Proish form after being down for multiple seasons.

Haden's a nice dude. He could be a good #2 now. We just gotta find #1.

I'm betting we see a resurgence in his production, if he's healthy, under Gregg Williams. He's only 27. I wouldn't write him off just yet.

I'm not writing him off, I'm also not expecting his old levels of performance.

It's hard (impossible) to play Defensive Back in the NFL when your team generates literally no pass rush.

And you are injured.

2013 and 2014 were Haden's best season. He was very good. We ranked 16th in sacks in 2013 and 27th in 2014.

Its hard to play CB with groin injuries.

I believe that he had groin tears on each side.

Hard to walk with that, let alone play football.

Yeah, he posted up on Twitter that his groin surgery went "great" so hopefully he'll be back to somewhat of his former self. I remember that play he was covering AJ Green and leaped up to the moon it seemed and came down with that INT. Incredible. He's had others, hopefully we can get him back to playing like THAT!

*EDIT*

Duh, and as for Taylor... that's awesome!

He's a scrappy corner with speed. I think he can improve too. As mentioned though, all our CBs look good if we could generate pressure and make QBs uncomfortable.

I wasn't too sure about the pickup at the time, but it appears to have been a good one. Our secondary still needs one more starter, but we're getting there.

Good job sashi up and coming cb for 7th round pick.

and i think we just exchanged 7th rounders

The Fins used the pick from Cleveland to draft Brandon Doughty, QB, currently their 3rd string QB.

The Browns got Taylor and used the pick on Scooby Wright who last season got 2 assisted tackles in 3 games with the Cards.

This is why I like Tre'Davious White so much. He thrives in man against smaller outside wrs which is definitely hadens weakness. If haden can regain any form we could be decent with those 3 and boddy as reserve.

I agree... I think our secondary looks much better with the addition of Garrett...

thanks w8

I agree. Our pass rush last year was terrible, embarrassing at times. . I think Haden doesn't get enough credit, frankly. We get a guy like Garrett, have last year's rookies like Ogbah develop and start putting big heat on the QB, our CBs will look better. Still need safety help though.

Tre is nice, but I'm not sure we he can cover the bigger WRs in the NFL. I'm not sure Haden can do it either. I need a corner who is a complete package, not just dominant on the outside.

We need a larger corner to pair with Haden. There are certain receivers he matches well against (Green) and other he does not (Brown)

Given the colors., White is the logical choice.

I think that he was a real steal. Even if he can only cover the slot, he can do so very well. Heck, he only cost us a swap of 7th round picks, or something like that.

I look forward to see how some of our young DBs can do is we can actually generate a pass rush.

agreed. Boddy, Taylor, and a rookie CB could be a decent secondary if our pressure is better

ANY pass rush and sacks make him even stronger. Horton's D was horrible and leads were wasted.

Pick it up some more JT! Good post, Swish!

We had leads?

I hear that the Seahawks may be shopping Richard Sherman. We have the cap space. What if we were to acquire him. Any thoughts out there on what type of move that would make?

Haden on 1 side, Sherman on the other with Taylor manning the slot. Then address Safety in the draft.

Sherman is a great, great player. But he has only had success in Seattle playing a certain type of way and is 29 years old. I would not trade a high pick for him in our current situation.

by the time we'd be "good" (if) Sherman would be too old anyways

I was thinking more of a 2nd round pick than a 1st. I'd consider that. At 29 Sherman isn't over the hill.

29 is pretty old for a corner. There are not too many great 29 year olds in the league at all at non-QB positions.

Yeah, usually OL and obviously Kickers can play a little longer. WR, DB, RB, LB ... tough

Even Great CB's When They Get Older Seem to Have Their Position Changed to Safety to to elongate their Careers ...

Now there's an idea. Can Sherman cover enough ground to play FS?

I was thinking about Haden. This would be a great draft to double up on starting caliber CBs and move Joe to one of the safety spots.

I seriously doubt we do it, but I wouldn't be opposed to the idea.

we've said for a while now to try haden at safety (he'd be penalized less as well)

Haden at FS at some point down the road sounds good to me. He's a fairly sure tackler (and doesn't seem to mind the contact) and still has some speed, just not the top-end type speed.

Dunno about Sherman, but I do know that we wouldn't be paying the price to bring him in here with plans to move him to safety.

It depends on what they're offering us to take him.
A 2nd would be nice, I think.

I see this this all the time,can someone name 3 in the past 5 years?
Or 6 in the past 10 years?

I couldn't even name one, actually.

Charles Woodson
Rod Woodson
Ronde Barber
Antron Rolle
Walter Thurmond
...to name a few.

Oh, Ronnie Lott and Champ Bailey I believe...

Deangelo Hall is the most significant current example i think.

Champ Bailey never actually played safety.

Here are 3 more : Quinton Jammer, Antoine Winfield, and Charles Tillman ...

yeah, it's happened with good players. especially smart/instinct guys

I don't know. I'm down to still have Haden put his hands on a WR and run with him. He's not that old yet.

I don't think Haden is big enough to play safety, but what do I know?

Thanks for the info.

i'd seen that posted many times,and I really didn't buy into it,as I could only come up a coupla names.
Now I'm a believer.

Haden is not a safety.

Haden certainly has the size and speed to play FS.

Haden has been playing with a groin injury. If you follow me here, you know I'm pretty hard on him due to his decline in play and ability to stay on the field, healthy. But yeah, the fact he played corner at all with a groin injury, love or hate the man - give him some credit.

It's been said many times, but we let QBs stay comfortable throughout the game. No pressure, nice pocket and ample time to pick our secondary apart. Hopefully with Collins extended, Ogbah and perhaps even Nassib stepping up and of course Garrett once we draft him pair up with Danny, we could very well find ways to get that pressure. Wouldn't it be great to see free runners getting hits on QBs? Leveling them. Seeing them throw up ducks that our secondary turns into INTs or whatever. I think so lol...

I agree LB. Pressure is paramount in the NFL. It can change everything. I kinda do feel bad for our DBs because they're literally on an island

IN a best case scenario Hadden regains even a little of his former ability and form - and we get pressure through scheme (Williams) and talent (Garrett/Collins + any other additions).... He does not need to be at his Pro-bowl level form to be good enough to be a good starter. Whether it's because of his contract or not I don't really care - he does seem to be a good team mate.

I think it's a fair bet to say that with an injection of talent and Gregg Williams calling the shots, this will no longer be the case.

I hope, although I've hoped that before

Certainly, we all have. However, we've never had Williams before. We're going to see difference.

I remember game one of having Dick Jouran.

The defense was FLYING all over the field. DQ had a pick in that game I think.

Sadly that was also the first game of Branden Weeden.

I've lost track of how many different D-Coords we've brought in that we've seen this said about.

We need talent across the board, and we need that talent to stay healthy because we don't have talented depth. Once we have this, most ANY scheme will look better than what we've had.

I don't care what we've done before. None of it worked. And I certainly don't believe past hirings are any indication of future results. I do feel certain that Gregg Williams will be a difference maker. I will bet on it.

Completely agree with this entire post. I think Haden, after the successful groin surgery, will come out this year and show the fans he can still be productive.

Like you said, he doesn't have to fully revert to how he was playing during his pro bowl season and etc to still be a solid starter.

if Haden can get back to form, it helps tremendously

That's all well and good, but the point is that it's all just hyperbole until he's actually accomplished something here, because just as what we've had before doesn't matter, what he's done before doesn't matter.
Square Zero.

That is all true but when was the last time Browns hired coordinators who coached and won a super bowl? I believe they have three Williams, Saunders, and Wilson.

While coaching is very important, that coaching needs the talent to get the job done. Depending on how the draft pans out, we may be close to having that talent.

And those guys did it with different players on different teams playing a completely different set of players and a different schedule, and ALL of it in the past.

It's not apples-to-apples. There are a LOT of variables there.
The things these guys have done got them this job -- the things they do going forward is what will determine if I'm happy/excited for them to be here. I'm not going to look at a name and predict "we're gonna be better", because you just can't do that. You can hope. You can maybe even lay out arguments on paper for it.... but, in the end, until they do it, there is nothing to back it up, and if they actually do it, they won't have done it by themselves.

I don't disagree. We seen worst! I am nearly pointing out effort was made hiring coaches who proved they were capable. If FO cannot supply worthy talent...well we seen that way to frequent!!

Sorry, Purp, I have to disagree here. What we've had before doesn't matter because it has absolutely nothing to do with what we're doing now. What Williams has done before has everything to do with what he'll be doing here. I don't disagree that we need an infusion of talent, but I do believe we will see a difference in how well the talent we already have plays moving forward. A big difference, IMHO.

The key is to have some patience. The quote you responded to doesn't seem to take into account that regardless of who is the DC it's going to take some time. No one on our roster nor anyone we draft has any experience with Williams. So far everything and everybody is new to this.

Sure, Williams is known for an attacking defense but that's not going have a huge effect game one. It'll take the first eight games for our guys to even begin to get comfortable with it. By the end of the season they may be really getting it but it will be the middle of next season and beyond before we see a major difference in our defenses effectiveness.

Too many times we put too much stock in newly drafted players to have a big impact, same with newly hired coaches. If we have a really strong defensive draft that will raise our talent level but it will do nothing for our experience level in Williams' scheme.

Just like the OL with the new players, it will take half a year for them to even begin to gel together. The real dividends, if there are to be any, won't be seen until the next season.

Sure we should see some defensive improvement early. Likely it will look faster and more aggressive than it really is. It will take time.

Let's don't get our hopes up too high.

j/c

It seems to me we tend to judge rookies too harshly. Many times players look better in their 2nd year than they did as rookies; Kirksey and Shelton come readily to mind. Taylor isn't quite in that category, but if I recall correctly, how Cleveland uses him is different from how Miami used him. We should probably hold off on final judgments of players like Coleman(x2), Boddy, Kindred, et al to see how they perform in their 2nd year.

Nope, sorry you're flat-out crazy. They couldn't make the Pro Bowl as rookies, so they need to be replaced ASAP.

your right cut john elway and troy aikman

So true. I can't even tell you how many times I heard bust for Shelton and Kirksey on here. They are not the only two either. Nauseating.

If you think about it, the more appropriate evaluation begins in year 2, after the draft choice has a full off season and is a football player 100 percent of the time. Believe it or not, academics can take up time for those so inclined.

In all fairness, we just, the nature of being a Browns fan, expect draft picks to not work out or live up to expectations because quite simply... the sheer amount of high round draft picks that just didn't amount to anything.

Happens so much it becomes like the sun setting where you just expect and "know" how it'll work. Am I saying it's right to be like that? Absolutely not, just eluding to the evidence as to why people (including me) are at times quick to pull the trigger.

I think the problem with Ray was...We had some talent, he just did not use it the right way. I don't think Ray knew talent if it bit him in the butt.

Most of them didn't have a chance due to changing regimes and schemes so often. There's that to consider.

What we'll see will likely be different, for sure.... my point is the old adage that "Previous performance is no guarantee of future success".

Yes, he has done things and enjoyed success before - but, not HERE and likely not remotely with a cupboard as bare as ours.

To ddub's point on patience and continuity - the question will be whether or not he gets the time to implement his scheme to the point that it is mature AND have enough time to develop some talent.

I agree this is key, but I'm not worried about it. I'm fairly confident they'll get time to do this right. And I don't think our cupboard is as bare as people think. Ogbah, Collins, Shelton, Kirksey, Jamar Taylor, Haden, Boddy Calhoun, Orchard, and Nassib, comprise a decent core to start with. An infusion that includes Garrett, another CB and a safety or two will give GW something to work with. I obviously don't expect miracles out of the gate, but I do believe we'll be seeing a much different attitude on the field, and eventually much better play, by mid-season is my guess. Beyond that, another decent off season, with a season under their belts, I expect to see a complete transition in the product on the field. JMHO

I'm wondering if we won't see something in Kindred too. He flashed last year early. As you said, a year of experience, and a new coach...

Forgot about him. I wonder how his ankle is doing.

j/c:

I have read most of the posts on this thread and have to say that while I think that the pass rush certainly needs improving, I think the defensive backfield is one of the worst in the entire NFL.

The secondary needs a huge influx of talent to even make it respectable.

Shelton played like a bust his first season, more to the point he ATE like a bust. He was seriously pushing maximum density. He reminded be of Rogers. Struggling to get up off the bench he was so fat. To his credit, he lost weight last year and got in much better shape. I hope that continues. I hope he comes in even lighter this year. He's going to be playing in a different D this year. Love to see how good he is at 320. As long as he keeps improving and coming into camp in shape he's an asset. He goes back to shoving Big Macs down his throat and we have trouble....

Well the system is easier to play. Remember when Jauron took over. We didn't play great D but we were improved just by switching to a 4-3. Easier for guys to learn it. Easier for guys to play in it.
Now, we have a long long way to go to be a good D, But going to a scheme that is easier to draft for and easier to play in will help.