Cleveland Browns: Jermaine Whitehead has earned his opportunity to contribute

Jermaine Whitehead was a player that consistently came up as someone that stood out in OTAs and minicamp, drawing attention from onlookers and coaches. It's important to see what happens when the pads come on, but there is a path for Whitehead to be a contributor on the Cleveland Browns this season.

One Cleveland Browns player that received a lot of attention and praise during OTAs and minicamp was safety Jermaine Whitehead. The former undrafted free agent and Packer was released halfway through the 2018 season and was a waiver claim by the Browns, playing the final seven games.

Whitehead has had a lot of reps thrown his way in part because of a minor injury to Morgan Burnett that has kept him from participating. Beyond his performance on the field, Whitehead has been praised for his leadership.

In attempting to replace Jabrill Peppers, the Browns appear to be going with a committee approach. Burnett is the best box safety they have while Whitehead and rookie Sheldrick Redwine appear to vying for more of a coverage safety role, giving them the ability to adjust their personnel to matchups and situations.

Whitehead is entering his fourth year in the league and that gives him an advantage over the fourth round pick out of Miami and while his top end speed isn't nearly as good as Redwine, Whitehead does offer fantastic agility.

If Whitehead can lock down that coverage safety role, it could enable Redwine to be a factor in the slot, an area where he was fantastic in his college career. He has tremendous instincts and mirrors really well and that versatility could ultimately save the Browns a roster spot, allowing them to keep another player, perhaps kept entirely for their special teams ability.

It remains to be seen if when the pads come on that Whitehead will continue to impress, but the point of OTAs and minicamp is to find players worth a look in training camp. Whitehead has done that, catching the attention of defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Now, entering training camp, he's in a position to earn a job on this team, which gives them one more option potentially benefit them when they form their final 53-man roster.