Browns: 5 storylines to follow heading into training camp
By Chad Porto
Who will become starters on the defense?
Joe Woods is on the hot seat, and admittedly, it isn’t completely fair. After all, he’s replacing potentially eight starters from his 2020 squad. Some of those eight are returning to the team but that doesn’t mean that they’re going to be starting.
Sione Takitaki and Ronnie Harrison are two of the returning starters who may not be doing that in 2021. Jacob Phillips started to show flashes near the end of 2020 and the team did just sign Anthony Walker. Since the Browns mostly run two linebackers (though, sometimes three), it could be the end of Takitaki as a full-time starter.
Harrison was the Jaguar’s third-best safety and was traded to Cleveland with the idea he’d be a spot-starter for 2020 due to the injuries. Now that Grant Delpit is returning from and with the signing of John Johnson III, it’s very possible that Harrison isn’t a starter in 2021 either.
Not only that but both defensive tackles and the other starting cornerback as well need to be replaced and filled in. Will rookie Greg Newsome starts opposite Denzel Ward, or will it be Greedy Williams? It may even be Troy Hill, the other major free-agent signing for the secondary besides Johnson.
We know that returning starters Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward are secured, but that’s it. Jadeveon Clowney and John Johnson are also secure in their starting gigs, with Walker being assumed as well but they’re not returning starters. Clowney replaced last year’s starter, Olivier Vernon, who had a good season of stats, but his actual play wasn’t great. He got most of his sacks in three of the games he played in while being a relative non-factor in the rest.
There’s going to be a lot of intrigue to see who secures their spot alongside the five established names.