The Cleveland Browns added a lot of defenders this offseason. The commonality with most of them was speed. John Johnson III, Troy Hill and Greg Newsome added speed to the secondary. Anthony Walker and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah added speed to the linebacker group.
Even on the defensive line, Cleveland added a number of fast players with Jadeveon Clowney, Takk McKinley and, even, Malik Jackson.
These additions, while talented, are not heavy players for their positions. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods is not concerned.
When asked about the Browns being light on defense, therein being susceptible in the run game, Woods was defensive, especially of his new rookie linebacker.
“I think that a lot of those questions pertain to JOK, but when you look around the league, the league is becoming more of you see teams spreading you out and quick throws. It is becoming more matchups and space,” Woods said. He continued, “Just more of a premium on speed, but there is enough size where those guys can play physical, and we have to be smart in terms of how we use him, as well.”
The Browns hope is that their length on the defensive line will help keep offensive linemen from getting out to the linebackers. In the secondary, both Grant Delpit and Ronnie Harrison are good-sized players at safety and are likely to play in the box as times as well.
As Woods noted, the NFL is more of a passing league. If Cleveland can’t stop the passing attack, it doesn’t matter if they are good against the run or not. If the Browns offense is as good as they hope to be, there will be plenty of times where their opponents will have to abandon the run, anyway.
Woods also noted the lighter linebackers have become more prevalent in the NFL pointing out current Brown Malcolm Smith, Atlanta’s Deion Jones and Kwon Alexander. Woods isn’t concerned about Owusu-Koramoah being a little lighter than more traditional linebackers. Instead, he is excited about the team’s added speed.