Jabrill Peppers and Denzel Ward Will Lead a Revamped Browns Secondary
General Manager John Dorsey was not messing around this offseason when it came to the defensive backfield. Both 2017 starting cornerbacks were traded early in the offseason. Jason McCourty (14 starts) was traded to New England and Jamar Taylor (15 starts) was sent to the Arizona Cardinals. They were replaced by No. 4 overall pick Denzel Ward and free agent signings E.J Gaines (Buffalo Bills), T.J. Carrie (Oakland Raiders), and Terrance Mitchell (Kansas City Chiefs). The four newcomers, added with returning 2017 slot corner Briean Boddy-Calhoun, create a very competitive environment at cornerback for the Browns that will pay off down the line.
4th overall pick @denzelward showing his hometown @Browns why they drafted him. #HardKnocksNow pic.twitter.com/tiQxlXoPU3
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) August 1, 2018
Cleveland upgraded at safety with the addition of Damarious Randall from the Green Bay Packers. After playing safety at Arizona State, the Packers tried to convert Randall into a cornerback. That experiment had mixed results, so Gregg Williams is moving him back to his natural position. The move also allows 2017 first round pick, Jabrill Peppers, to move to strong safety. Peppers is a menace when he is able to play closer to the line of scrimmage. The added depth across the secondary should allow him to make more impact plays.
PFF’s Mike Renner had this to say about the Browns secondary:
“Talent-wise, the Browns are night and day from where they were at this point a season ago. They brought a couple of free agents coming off career years in Gaines (86.1) and Carrie (84.3). Cleveland also traded for Randall (70.9) and then drafted Ohio State’s Ward with the fourth overall pick. That’s a good start for a team that was almost completely bereft of talent heading into the offseason, but it remains to be seen how the pieces will mesh in Greg Williams’ defense.”
Cleveland’s secondary will greatly improve in 2018 with Ward and Peppers running the show.