Browns: ESPN suggests team can take best available, despite glaring holes

The Browns have two massive, gaping, and obvious holes on the defensive side of the ball that are pretty glaring to anyone paying attention; linebacker and defensive tackle. That’s not up for a debate. Bringing in two guys who, at best, were their team’s third defensive tackle, isn’t a sign that you have the next coming of the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers front four.

Cut it any way you want but Malik Jackson only started six games for the Eagles, despite being healthy for 15. Then there’s Andrew Billings, who was so mediocre that the Bengals, of all teams, would rather move on from him than give him a second contract. They might be upgrades over Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi, sure. That idea exists. That doesn’t mean that Jackson and Billings are great on their own; it just means the two guys the Browns had were so much worse than we thought.

I, personally, don’t think we’ve upgraded more so made lateral moves that were more cost effective.

So clearly the defensive tackles need a new guy there in the first day or at the very least the second round. The other pick, be it at number 26 or in the second round (whichever isn’t used on a tackle), needs to be a linebacker. The Browns have one of the worst linebacking corps in the game. Jacob Phillips struggled with staying healthy and coverage all year and the guy many thought would have a breakout season; Mack Wilson, was awful.

So when ESPN writes that the team is “stacked” and can take the “best available”, I’m left utterly confused. Has ESPN gone all-in with their quarterback and points fetish that they forgot there’s literally a second side of the play?

So no, the team’s defense isn’t stacked and there are massive and glaring holes the team needs to address.

In order, they go

1. Defensive tackle
2. Linebacker
3. Defensive back

Now, if there’s a better linebacker than there is a defensive tackle at 26, ok, take the linebacker and then go get a defensive tackle in the second round. Then end the third round with a corner or safety. That’s what the team needs.

For there to be an ESPN article that cravenly ignores the issues up the middle with the defense and acts like a bunch of career backups and over-the-hill replacements will be “good enough” is the same logic and stance they took last year when the Browns were relying on Kevin Johnson and B.J. Goodson.

Do you know where those two are? Not in Cleveland anymore.

This logic that “oh hey, Andrew Berry signed this other team’s castoff; we’re all set!” needs to end. Anthony Walker is Joe Schobert without the coverage skills, yet he’s going to fix the defense? The Colts let him go for a reason. He’s only 25 (turning 26). He’s got another four-to-five good-to-great years left. Why would the Colts let him go if he’s good? Especially for just $3 million.

No, the Browns did the same thing with linebacker and defensive tackle in free agency that they did last year; get short-term options to hopefully fill a spot and not completely tank. Sure, there exists a universe where Billings, Jackson and Walker go to the Pro Bowl and become All-Pro in Joe Woods’ revolutionary defense that holds opposing teams to just 100 yards per game, but let’s be real; that’s not happening.

The Browns need to draft their interior in their first two picks. Sure, pick the better of the two first, but you can’t just take whomever. Those are the glaring, and obvious holes that need to be addressed.

Let’s not pretend otherwise.