Andrew Berry Believes In The Defensive Ends, Hints Why Browns Didn’t Draft One
Going into the 2021 NFL Draft many thought that the Cleveland Browns would take a defensive end early, perhaps even with their first round pick. Instead, Cleveland went cornerback with Greg Newsome ll and did not draft a defensive end through the draft at all.
Currently as it sits the Browns defensive end rotation looks something like this.
LDE: Myles Garrett, Joe Jackson, Curtis Weaver, Cameron Malveaux
RDE: Jadeveon Clowney, Takkarist McKinley, Porter Gustin
When general manager Andrew Berry was asked via Zoom if not taking a defensive end was because of how the draft board fell, or if it was because they liked the guys in house, he said it was a combination of both.
Cleveland has the option of moving some of their ends around, as well as getting pressure up the middle. Malik Jackson for instance will help the team in the middle, when it comes to pressure on the quarterback. This season we will likely see different rush packages, mainly on third down where Garrett, Clowney and McKinley are all on the field.
Clowney and McKinley are both in Cleveland one one-year deals. If one of them produces a boost in their stock they could potentially be resigned for a decent chunk of cash, or go elsewhere. An average year could see either player potentially looking for another one year deal.
Youth is on the Browns side when it comes to their ends. Jackson is just 24 years old and appeared in three games last year for the team. Gustin is 24 years old as well and played much more last season, appearing in 14 games and getting three starts. When it comes to Gustin he has never showed much in pass rushers. Instead, he has shown to have a motor, not give up on plays and make tackles. Cleveland seemed to value that, no telling if they will need it going forward with the other additions.
Malveaux is 26 years old and came on for Cleveland in November when they needed an extra body. From a perspective of age and need he could be the odd man out when the dust settles.
Weaver is the interesting one for Cleveland. He is just 22 years old and does not turn 23 until late August. A solid prospect coming out of Boise State that was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Weaver was cut last season by the Dolphins following an injury and Cleveland claimed.
It was always a low-risk and high-reward kind of pickup. If Weaver doesn’t work out, it means you tried and you lose nothing. Weaver didn’t have an NFL caliber body last season. As of late he’s noted to be in better shape and following a nice meal plan. If Cleveland REALLY thought they needed another defensive end, they would have selected one at some point. Instead they waited until grabbing a UDFA.
Not selecting an end could very well be because of how the team views Weaver. They don’t need him to be a star or anything, just be productive in a hand full of snaps each game to take pressure off of Myles Garrett. 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds (could be different now, Weaver doesn’t have great length, he won in college with other ways.
The choice to not draft an end probably has a lot more to do with the fact that the team likes the current roster, more so than the draft board fell. Cleveland has a few guys who will battle for the fourth and fifth end spots, considering Garrett, Clowney and McKinley are your top three rushers. Andrew Berry has given fans, his players and the higher ups no reason to doubt him - this shouldn’t be one either.
