Anthony Zettel could provide boost for Cleveland Browns at multiple positions

Despite 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2017 with the Detroit Lions, Greg Williams thought it better to have Anthony Zettel barely play for the Cleveland Browns in 2018. As the season wore on, Zettel saw more of the field and while he wasn't a great player, producing just 3 tackles for loss, he managed to chip in his share of moments and was on the field to close out a few games.

Beyond being a good athlete with size, Zettel is one of a handful of players that can play up and down the defensive line including Myles Garrett, Sheldon Richardson, Chris Smith and hopefully Chad Thomas, assuming he can do anything.

The coaching change could help Zettel's case to see the field more often, but it also helps that he had the entire offseason and now will have a full training camp with the Browns. Last year, he was claimed after roster cut downs right before the start of the season.

Zettel enters training camp as fourth or fifth best edge player on the roster behind Garrett, Olivier Vernon and Genard Avery, depending on how one views Chris Smith.

Zettel and Smith both have versatility, though Zettel has 4 inches and 10 pounds on Smith in addition to making about a quarter of the money Smith does.

The Browns could keep 9 or 10 defensive linemen, so the Browns are likely to keep 5 edge players, so there's room for both Zettel and Smith. It's just a question of which players they value the most at the position.

Zettel, in addition to bolstering what should be a strong group of edge players, could help take some of the pressure off of the defensive tackle depth if he can come in and take some snaps there in nickel situations.

It's worth keeping an eye on where the Browns put Zettel in training camp and the preseason. The more places they are willing to put him, the better his chances get.

The Browns have done very little to change the roster at the defensive tackle depth of the team, so if they put Zettel inside, it means they want to see what he can offer there and that he could part of the plan when it comes to interior depth.

Zettel has to be desperately hoping he can showcase himself and find a way to get on the field, because if he can have a productive year, he could earn his way to a nice free agent contract. It's possible that if he looks like he'll be buried on the depth chart, his agent might want to see him go elsewhere to get him on the field. And in the event he were to be released by the Browns, there would be more than a few teams interested in adding him.