Browns Passing Game is Going to Struggle in Practice and There is Little They can do About it

The Cleveland Browns passing offense is going to struggle in training camp, which will prompt questions and stress about how viable that aspect of the team will be. Some of it might be warranted, but the whether it's led by Deshaun Watson, Jacoby Brissett, Baker Mayfield or Patrick Mahomes shows up one day to take some snaps, the Browns passing game will be fed into a buzzsaw on a daily basis, facing off against one of the most talented coverage units in the league.

Even just in glimpses of OTAs and minicamp, this is already the case. The defense is ahead of the offense at this point, but the pass defense simply has more talent. It's not close either.

The Browns boast one of the more talented groups of corners in football. Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome will have their chance to prove their belong in the conversation for the top duos in the league this year. Former second-round pick Greedy Williams is the heavy favorite to round out their starting trio, likely operating on the boundary with Newsome in the slot.

The key to the Browns at corner has been depth and coaching. In 2021, all three of their top corners missed time, 7 games in total. Players like A.J. Green were able step in and step up to maintain the high level of play from that position. The Browns added M.J. Emerson in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft and have players like Herb Miller able to provide different looks on defense, specifically length in coverage. The Browns are almost certainly going to be forced to cut a corner who can contribute for another team.

At safety, the Browns have a talented pairing in John Johnson III and Grant Delpit. Ronnie Harrison is the team's third safety, operating largely near the line of scrimmage or the slot. The group has room to improve significantly for a few key reasons.

First, Johnson was terrible the first half of 2021. Some of that was on him. He was trying to do too much and made some costly mistakes where he wasn't executing his assignment, including an inauspicious debut against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he was also blamed at times for teammates being wrong in their assignments, often Ronnie Harrison. Harrison had a strong 2020 season, but was terrible operating in a split-high safety role in 2021.

Whether it was trying to make plays seeking a big contract or simply how he's wired, Harrison was often out of position, creating massive holes for offenses to exploit. He was far more effective closer to the line of scrimmage, taking advantage of his size and length. He excelled in matchups against the Detroit Lions and both Baltimore Ravens games in that role, playing more like a linebacker than a safety.

The reason Harrison was playing split-high was because Grant Delpit was coming off the Achilles' injury that ended his rookie season. He was put into a role that would allow him to contribute immediately and evolve as his mobility and confidence in his health improved over the course of the year, eventually taking that deep safety role. The second half of the year, Delpit and Johnson stabilized the backend and produced more consistent results.

Entering year three, Delpit is as healthy as he's ever been for the Browns. He's also going to be utilized in the full range of what defensive coordinator Joe Woods has in mind. Regardless of whether the Browns want to label Delpit or Johnson the free or strong safety, they will be doing everything and their roles will change from play to play.

Harrison is looking for a major bounce back year after his role diminished towards the end of the 2021 season. He was replaced at times by M.J. Stewart, who then signed with the Houston Texans in the offseason. Harrison is being given every opportunity to own that third safety, which could be a valuable role for the team. If a healthier Delpit continues to play well and Johnson carries over the second half of last year, they can be a dynamic, productive group.

There are some questions in regards to depth. Second-year safety Richard LeCounte III seeks to prove he's the next man up and they have players like D'Anthony Bell, Luther Kirk IV, and Nate Meadors competing for a spot, but this might be a position the Browns could seek additional help.

In the middle, the Browns have Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah headlining their linebacker group. His elite athleticism and range is problematic for offenses. Even if the opponent account for the threats at corner and even safety, JOK could potentially punish them with a takeaway. While Woods doesn't want to overload JOK, his role is going to grow more in year two, which may allow him to make a bigger impact in coverage.

Since Woods has taken over as defensive coordinator, the Browns have overperformed at linebacker relative to expectations despite limited investment. Credit may be due to Jason Tarver, the linebackers coach but whether it was B.J. Goodson in 2020 or Anthony Walker in 2021, they had their most productive seasons on pass defense according to Pro Football Focus.

The Browns also desperately want third-year linebacker Jacob Phillips to stay healthy, because they love his intelligence and processing speed. He plays faster than his athleticism would suggest, giving them another potential contributor in the middle of the defense.

Deshaun Watson may be a tremendous talent and accomplished passer, but these 7 on 7's are going to be as difficult as he's faced in his career. That will be especially true in the red zone where the defense has less ground to cover. Scrambling can be a great decision, but the defense effectively wins the rep in that scenario. The goal is to improve in finding or manipulating passing lanes, which will be easier said than done.

Adding Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney to the mix rushing off the edges will only ramp up the difficulty.

Amari Cooper is a an accomplished receiver, but everyone else on offense is some level of unproven. David Njoku has his extension, but he's still trying to show consistency as a receiving threat while players like Donovan Peoples-Jones, Harrison Bryant, Anthony Schwartz and rookie David Bell are all trying to show their value.

This has the opportunity to make the entire offense better. After all, if they can beat a secondary with this much talent, they will have earned it, which could mean good things for their chances of success this season.

For example, it could prove valuable preparation for when the Browns face off against the Baltimore Ravens twice this season. Few teams can match the Browns on secondary talent, but the Ravens are definitely one of them. In addition to expecting players like Marlon Humphrey to return from injury to what was already a strong unit, the Ravens upgraded their secondary, adding Marcus Williams and Kyle Fuller in free agency and drafting Kyle Hamilton in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Browns could theoretically add more receiver help, likely after the league makes a ruling on Watson's conduct. But even if they were to bring in another receiving option ahead of training camp, the passing game is still going to struggle in practice. That's more representative of the state of the team than anything else.

It may prove difficult to get a true assessment of the passing game until the Browns face another team as a reference point. The Browns are slated to have joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles during training camp, which will operate as an important benchmark in evaluating where the team stands across the board. At that point, the Browns could look to make changes to their roster.

If the Browns offense is playing to beat the Browns defense, they'd run the ball.