Jason Tarver Talks Browns Linebackers, Challenges Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
In typical Jason Tarver fashion, the Cleveland Browns linebackers coach came out in his press conference fired up and exciting about his group of players.
"It's been a lot of fun and the guys that are coming back from injury have been amazing in meetings and they get to do some things when we're in walkthroughs, slow down things, but the group's great."
Asked about Jacob Phillips, who is coming back from a torn pectoral injury which he suffered last October against the Baltimore Ravens, Tarver lauded Phillips for his work physically and mentally to get back to where he is now.
"Very proud of Jacob Phillips, of how hard he's worked off the field, three season-ending injuries is really hard on your brain ... He is super strong and super flexible and just excited for him, he's able to get some good reps today and had a good spring."
Tarver was also asked ab the returns of two other veteran linebackers this defense is counting on in Anthony Walker Jr. and Sione Takitaki. Walker tore his left quad last year on September 22nd in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, ruling him out for the rest of the year. Takitaki suffered a torn ACL on December 4th.
"Him (Walker) and Sione are right on track. So the amount that they're out there is going to be off their grading, where they are injury wise, how our trainers and doctors let us know. But both of them are doing great."
Given the time they're missing, Tarver was pressed on whether they'd be ready to contribute when they are healthy.
"They've really learned, they've had enough offseasons under their belt. And I've said this about Sione before, he's really learned how to be a pro. They're both pros in how they treat everything they do."
Tarver also took a question on Walker Jr's leadership for this season and how that would look.
"Sometimes he's like a big brother, he'll get after people." Tarver later continued on that same point saying, "If I see somebody not understanding or just maybe didn't get enough reps of something, I can say 'hey go talk to A Walk."
Tarver also pointed out the rookies and the younger guys and how they have stepped up and gotten more time with Walker and Takitaki easing into things.
"As for the other guys getting reps, it was very beneficial for Tony (Fields II), Jordan (Kunaszyk), Jeremiah (Owusu-Koramoah), our rookies got a few more reps and maybe they wouldn't in the springtime."
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was another name Tarver went into detail about. He was another Browns linebacker bit with the injury bug when he injured his foot in the Dec. 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals and did not return the remaining four games.
"He's a very good ball searcher. He's very good at closing ground. He's very good in one on one matchups, that's stayed the same. So early in the offseason, he did a lot of work on his body and coming back from the injury the last few weeks."
Tarver went into detail on the defensive scheme brought in by new Browns DC Jim Schwartz and how that relates to the linebackers and how their roles may change because of that.
"What's been cool is there's some really things that are a lot of the alignment systems and some of the things I won't get to too many specifics. A lot of those are exactly the same. So it's like a home base."
Tarver feels confident in the scheme that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has made for the defense and likes how his group will fit into that. He said this in response to a question about whether Owusu-Koramoah fits in Jim Schwartz' scheme defensively.
"I think he fits, I think he can play in either of the schemes and this is a good scheme for all our guys like I'm excited about this game for backers because it's that it's things move in front of you and go as fast as you can. It's our job to fix it."
Tarver publicly challenged JOK during his six-week break..
"He needs to continue developing his body, especially in this little off-time. He's got a nice window right now that if he takes care of business, he can get his body to play, game zero, the extra preseason game then however many of those we get. Then 17+, because that's the goal, right? That's the goal, so that's his challenge now to be productive pro and know the scheme so well that he gets to stay on the field."
When asked if that meant getting bigger, Tarver clarified while flexing, "Stronger. Just stronger." Tarver wants guys to be as strong as they can without losing speed, citing Jacob Phillips as an example.
While it's clear that Tarver likes and maybe even loves his group, perhaps the thing that he enjoys even more is the involvement in the defense.
"Everybody gets a chance to make a play in this defense. There's nobody that just has to grab on and hold people so somebody else can stay there. Everybody attacks and again, attack and fix it."
The linebackers next chance to get work in as a squad will come on July 22 in Browns training camp. The camp will last July 22-30 and will be held at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
