Lingering Question for Browns Defense, Plus 5 Players Worth Discussing

After seeing a good amount of the Cleveland Browns starters on defense against the Washington Commanders, it stood out how poorly the defensive line contained the quarterback. A price of freedom for the guys up front, the question becomes how the Browns intend to address it during the season.

It appears the Browns intend to have their linebackers operate as the secondary contain. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah attempted to keep his eyes on the quarterback while widening when he saw the left side of the defensive line go inside, providing a potential path of escape outside. With his speed, he's uniquely equipped to clean up some of those plays.

The other linebackers did not fare as well in the game. What's unclear is what they were being told to do, but they struggled to run down the scrambling quarterback before they were able to get a first down or in the case of Jacoby Brissett, he was unopposed scrambling for a touchdown.

When the games count, one way the Browns could deal with this problem is to have linebackers like Anthony Walker Jr. widen out, voiding the middle of the field underneath. JOK can still handle the other side of the field and his range allows him to stay in his zone while being viable to get downhill and attack the quarterback.

Freedom is great for the defensive line in allowing to create pressure and potentially sack the quarterback, but it's going to create seams for an athletic quarterback to exploit. That secondary contain becomes imperative to avoid getting gashed. They may end up giving some short passes in the process, but they should be able to rally and tackle.

In the game against the Commanders, Sam Howell completed 9 of his 12 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, but didn't produce a ton of yards. Meanwhile, the Browns sacked him once, drew multiple penalties, one of which resulted in a safety and had him consistently feeling pressure. Howell had to work for what he got.

When it comes to facing the Ravens and Lamar Jackson in particular, it will be interesting to see if the Browns go with a stricter pass rush plan attempting to ensure he doesn't get out of the pocket.

Even without Myles Garrett, Greg Newsome, Grant Delpit, Anthony Walker Jr. and the recently signed Shelby Harris, the Browns defense is fast. Just looking at some of the undrafted free agents the Browns have brought in, linebacker Charlie Thomas and edge rusher Lonnie Phelps fit that level of speed. Both have will have a difficult time making the 53-man roster, but both could be priorities for the practice squad if another team doesn't try to scoop them up.

It also appeared that Juan Thornhill was playing a role that will be filled by Grant Delpit in the regular season. He missed the game so he could attend his graduation from LSU.

WR David Bell

It continues to be strange how many people think Bell is in danger of not making the active roster. He's not flashy, doesn't possess elite athletic traits, but that was obvious when the Browns drafted him. Nevertheless, Kevin Stefanski loved him.

He was criticized for his rookie season, which was perfectly fine. Bell caught 24 passes in an offense that had Amari Cooper, David Njoku and Donovan Peoples-Jones as the primary pass catching threats.

Against the Commanders, Bell still wasn't flashy. He simply just got open, catching the three passes thrown to him, finding soft spots in the zone and gaining leverage against man coverage. Joshua Dobbs threw a ball right on time that hit Bell in a hole in the zone for a first down. He followed that up by hitting him on an out cutting route late in the half. Bell fought to get out of bounds to stop the clock and continue the drive. Then in the second half, Bell caught the slant from Dorian Thompson-Robinson for the touchdown.

Bell also blocks well. At 6'1" 212 pounds, he has size and strength to operate as a power slot. He's just a smart football player with good hands who consistently does his job. That has value.

WR Austin Watkins Jr.

Watkins is the latest in the pantheon of unheralded wide receivers to become a preseason fan favorite joining the likes of Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi. The difference is that Watkins has NFL size; 6'1 1/2" 210 pounds. Watkins has made a couple of noteworthy catches in the first two preseason games and keeps getting noticed in practice.

With Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Elijah Moore, David Bell and Cedric Tillman already safe bets to make the roster, the Browns only have one more receiver spot. Marquise Goodwin's status remains up in the air due to blood clots and Jaelen Darden is currently hurt. Daylen Baldwin suffered a severe hamstring injury and the Browns want him back, but that could be a few months away. That might clear a path for Watkins to make this team.

The potential problem is that the Browns would have a ton of perimeter receivers without many slot options. Cooper and DPJ can function out of the slot, but are primarily outside threats. Bell and Moore are the purest slot threats. If the Browns want to keep Watkins, the best way to do it might be to find a pure slot option to stash on the practice squad in case of an injury. Mike Harley Jr. stands out in this regard, but the Browns could keep shopping.

Watkins could also end up being a player the Browns end up moving in a trade. It's still difficult to believe the Browns keep seven receivers on their active roster. It's impractical and the Browns may not have seven receivers worth it.

OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr.

With so many eyes on Dawand Jones at right tackle, it can be easy to miss Wheatley on the left, but he has been a pleasant surprise in preseason to this point. The converted tight end has gained a ton of weight since joining the Browns, but carries it pretty well.

Against the Commanders, he only had one pass protection rep that stood out as poor, giving up a pressure when he put his head down. Otherwise, he demonstrated an excellent feel for when to engage pass rushers, often quick to get hands on and take away their momentum. He's also light on his feet and mirrored effectively. Wheatley never looked overly stressed.

As a run blocker, Wheatley has a habit of playing too high, but he churns his feet and works hard at the point of attack. That high pad level can hurt him when going second level, but he had a good performance.

None of that means that Wheatley is ready to play on Sundays, but he is worth monitoring. He's only in his second year in the NFL, but he's 26 years old. That might help him get to the Browns practice squad.

QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Given DTR's experience and skill set, a team might take him in the third round of the draft. The Browns were happy to select him in the fifth and he's looked great so far. The competition hasn't been great to this point, but he's thrived when he's been in there.

DTR had some nervous energy when he took the field against the Jets. First time getting in against NFL competition, adrenaline took over. Against the Commanders, he looked far more comfortable from the start. DTR has become appointment viewing and there's some disappointment when he leaves the game as well as knowing there are only two more opportunities to watch him this year (hopefully).

The Browns don't appear to be in a hurry to make him the backup, leaving that to Joshua Dobbs. With the guaranteed money on his deal, the only way Dobbs is leaving is via trade, so unless that happens, he's likely to remain the team's backup. The Browns may be content to keep Dobbs for his intelligence both in being a sounding board and extra set of eyes for Deshaun Watson and continuing to be a good mentor for DTR. But if a team needs a backup before the trade deadline? Maybe.

S Ronnie Hickman

Hickman stood out with two interceptions, both of which had a high degree of difficulty. He also had a number of tackles in the style he became known for at Ohio State. Scraping over the top to run down the ball carrier.

Hickman also got beat for one of the Commanders touchdowns when he got crossed up by Jahan Dotson in the redzone. That's also something he was known for at Ohio State. Hickman had a difficult time working backwards in coverage, especially when he turned his back to the quarterback.

His ideal fit in the NFL is as a box safety where he can play forward even as he works to get better at those other elements of his game and the Browns have a role for that. He is making a strong case to be the fourth safety on the Browns depth chart.