Cleveland Browns: 5 other teams’ potential cuts Browns should sign

1. Shawn Williams, S, Bengals

By not placing a great sense of urgency on the linebacker position, the Cleveland Browns may show a lot of defensive formations with two linebackers and three safeties. It’s something the defense showed a lot last season, unfortunately, the defensive backfield’s inability to tackle kind of sunk the whole experiment.

However, with Joe Woods on the job, the Browns figure to run the scheme again. Andrew Berry drafted Grant Delpit, who the Browns believe can make an impact as a rookie. Delpit’s expected to start at free safety.

The team also signed Karl Joseph, and it’s expected he’ll receive starting reps.

Backups currently include veteran Andrew Sendejo and Sheldrick Redwine. Redwine is a young player who’s still unproven, but he looks like a better bet to fill the strong safety position.

Perhaps the Browns should look down I-71 for help if the Bengals decide to part ways with Shawn Williams. who was Cincinnati’s leading tackler last season with 114 takedowns. The Bengals invested heavily in their secondary this past offseason, and Williams, who’s due to make $4 million this season, is expendable.

There’s some talk that if Williams stays in Cincinnati, he’ll fulfill a hybrid linebacker/safety roll. If it doesn’t work out in Cincinnati, there should be a role for the 29-year-old on the state’s north shore.