The Cleveland Browns were once again widely considered to be an offseason winner. At some point, the rubber will need to meet the road and their efforts will need to produce results. If they intend to be a contender in head coach Kevin Stefanski's first season, then they will need some players to step up in key roles.
CBS Sports examined the five training camp battles most essential to the team's 2020 fate.
1. Linebacker
There will be times that Cleveland uses three linebackers, but the nickel package is more of a staple in a modern day defensive scheme aiming to combat the expansion of spread-style offenses. Depth is a bit of a concern but there are question marks surrounding the starters as well. The Browns signed B.J. Goodson in free agency and drafted Jacob Phillips on Day 2 to compete with Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson, who were both were drafted last year.
It has been awhile since the AFC North franchise has had so much uncertainty at linebacker, as Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert were mainstays for years.
2. Right guard
By signing coveted free agent right tackle Jack Conklin and drafting left Jedrick Wills in the first round, the Browns solidified four-fifths of their starting offensive line. The lone chink in the armor is at right guard, which was vacated by veteran Kevin Zeitler in the trade for Odell Beckham Jr. Drew Forbes and Wyatt Teller competed last year but Forbes recently opted out of the upcoming season. Washington's Nick Harris was drafted on Day 3; his primary position is center but he could slide over in a pinch.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield took a dramatic step backwards last season and the team's inconsistency along the offensive line was part of the problem. The hope is that the investment in the unit will allow the young quarterback to re-establish himself as one of the more promising players in the league.
3. Safety
When the season began a year ago, Damarious Randall and Morgan Burnett were penciled in as starters. Fast forward a year and both players are gone, leaving big shoes to fill by a handful of contenders. Grant Delpit, Karl Joseph, Andrew Sendejo and Sheldrick Redwine are the four players competing for two starting roles.
Delpit has the most talent of the bunch, but his game is not flawless. It would be an upset if he did not occupy one of the aforementioned starting roles. Joseph and Redwine would be the next most talented right now. It would be easy for the coaching staff to favor either player, but do not sleep on Sendejo and his familiarity with the scheme. Sendejo's time in Minnesota overlapped with pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jeff Howard and defensive coordinator Joe Woods Jr. There is value in having a player capable of communicating the scheme and its verbiage. Joseph is a former first-round pick that has a lot of talent, but injuries have been his downfall.
4. No. 3 wide receiver
The retention of Rashard Higgins would typically signal his stance as the team's No. 3 wide receiver. However, he has had five years to lock it down and he hasn't. Rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones had no business being on the board late on Day 3. It would not be a big surprise if he were the one to claim that role in the offense. There is a bevy of other options such as Taywan Taylor and Damion Ratley.
The Minnesota offense used three wide receivers on just 25% of their snaps last season. Cleveland is going to use more two tight end sets than most teams in the league, so the third wide receiver is not as important as it would be to most teams. Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry will receive their fair share of targets.
5. Tight end
General manager Andrew Berry devoted significant assets this offseason to making Austin Hooper the highest-paid tight end in the league. His presence, along with former first-round selection David Njoku, should be enough. Njoku's trade request has certainly muddied the waters. The team insists that they do not want to trade him, but there has been no indication that the Miami product is willing to back off his demands. In the event that he is ultimately traded, the Browns need someone to rise to the occasion.
Stefanski's offense utilized two tight ends more than any team in the league last year. In the event that Njoku is traded or heaven forbid an injury takes place, depth will be critical. Harrison Bryant, a fourth-round pick out of Florida Atlantic, is on the shortlist to replace him. Pharaoh Brown and Stephen Carlson could also factor into the equation.
"five" - Google News
July 31, 2020 at 07:16PM
https://ift.tt/3gkdwdY
Browns training camp's five biggest battles: Protecting Baker Mayfield key, youth movement on defense - CBS Sports
"five" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YnPDf8
https://ift.tt/2SxXq6o
No comments:
Post a Comment