Cleveland Browns: Review Pt. 3 Defense, ST, and More
Dec 7, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns strong safety Donte Whitner (31) against the Indianapolis Colts during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports
Safeties
Donte Whitner
The unquestioned leader of the Browns defense, and the man most likely to be feared by opposing defenses might be safety Donte Whitner. Why? Let’s just say the guy doesn’t shy away from making a tackle that shows up on the highlight reels.
With 106 tackles last season and the ability to lay down big hits, Whitner definitely made an impact in his first season manning the secondary. The former Ohio State star loves being back in Ohio and playing for the Browns. While he believes that the Browns defense had a good year last season, he’s motivated to lead the defense to a better year this year. The biggest area of improvement he hopes to see? The defense against the run.
He along with Haden, Tramon Williams, and fellow safety Tashaun Gipson should make for a very solid secondary going into 2015. They’ll make it difficult for opposing offenses to pass the ball, and with the help of rookie Danny Shelton against the run, the Browns defense should improve in 2015.
Tashaun Gipson
To some he has earned the nickname “The Shark.” How did he get that name? How about his ability to hide among the defense, then strike quickly from nowhere and snare an interception like a shark going after its prey. A “ball-shark” if you will, as his nose to find the way to the ball helped the Cleveland Browns defense create turnovers.
Before a season ending injury in 2014, Gipson was considered to be a safety on the rise. His 6 interceptions in 11 games made throwing his way a risky proposition. Do you remember that he was actually considered for the Pro Bowl last year? Even despite an injury shortened season, his play was respected by both the fans and his peers. Of course he had to turn the opportunity down due to his injury, but that shows you how good of a year Gipson had last year.
To be honest, I thought there was a pretty good chance that Gipson could parlay his play last season into a big contract this offseason. However, it seems that teams didn’t bite, as his injury and lack of a track record might have scared teams away.
Their loss is the Browns gain, as we get Gipson back on a reasonable contract, and the team gets the opportunity to see if he can duplicate his success. He didn’t do much in the preseason, but he also didn’t get a lot of time with the actual starters like Haden and Whitner.
More from Cleveland Browns
- Are the Cleveland Browns a Top 10 roster heading into the 2023 season?
- There will be no more excuses for Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns in 2023
- There is hope that the Cleveland Browns land DeAndre Hopkins
- 4 reasons the Cleveland Browns may in fact land DeAndre Hopkins
- The Cleveland Browns need to rock some white helmets in 2023
However I look for him to put up comparable numbers to last season, and if he does, look for Gipson to get a considerable raise going into the 2016 off-season. Whether that’s from the Browns or another team, just enjoy watching “The Shark” go after his prey in 2015, and the impact he’ll have on the defensive secondary.
He’s your typical backup safety. No real flair, no real standout qualities, but Poyer is a very solid and very capable backup. While he is susceptible to getting beat by the deep ball, Poyer usually does a good job of keeping the plays in front of him when he is out on the field.
His biggest role on the season will be giving guys like Whitner and Gipson some rest, and contributing on special teams.
A rookie from Northwestern, Ibraheim Campbell is a hard-hitting safety much in the mold of Donte Whitner. His strength lies in run defense, and he has some room to grow against defending in coverage, but Campbell can make an impact on the team in 2015. If he can spell Whitner on obvious run situations, that’s another opportunity the Browns can use to keep Whitner fresh and not abuse his body.
While not much is expected by the Browns from Campbell this season, Campbell has a lot of expectations of himself and that he wants to live up to. He’s going to work hard, and he’s going to do what he needs to do. A good player to compare him to in that regard is Pierre Desir
Next: Punter check, Return men okay, Kicker...Wait, Who?