The Cleveland Browns are experiencing issues along their defensive line and some of it is the result of injuries and some of it is the result of suspensions, but the defensive front has transformed from a strength to a potential liability. Due to the abundance of questions marks and lack of depth, the Browns have brought in reinforcements and below is a brief explanation of what the newly acquired Brandin Bryant has done and can do.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 289 pounds
Previous Team: Montreal Alouettes (CFL)
Bryant went undrafted in 2016 after having an unspectacular career at Florida Atlantic and wound up with the Seattle Seahawks. He has a fairly decent preseason with Seattle, but failed to make the final roster. The New York Jets snagged Bryant and placed him on their practice squad and he actually saw some time on their active roster during his rookie campaign. Bryant’s sophomore season was even less eventful as he was hurt during the preseason, landed on IR and was released from the IR.
After failing to land in the NFL, Bryant went up North in 2018 and played ten games for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was extremely successful, earning more and more playing time as the season went on and even tallied two sacks. By the end of the season, Bryant was facing double teams consistently. Bryant started 2019 with the Montreal Alouettes, but found his way to Cleveland in August and was relegated to the practice squad until this week.
Despite his less than ideal size, Bryant is better against the run than the pass and it is largely due to his strength and ability to anchor. Bryant has shown flashes of being a solid depth piece and shows superb quickness and solid hustle to chase after the play, but what really makes him a great fit for Cleveland is his attitude and work ethic. Bryant was noted as one of the more engaged and positive players during his days in Winnipeg.
Despite Bryant showing a few flashes here and there, they are not consistent enough to be the expectation. Bryant lacks the ideal size NFL teams want on the interior and at one point weighed over 300 pounds to better fit that role, but he sacrificed all of his quickness for the weight game and at that point was a complete liability when on the field.
Bryant looks like a brief solution to the defensive line issues and someone who will likely not be on the team once everyone returns, but this is one of the more intriguing mid-season acquisitions. It will be extremely interesting to see how Bryant plays now that he has transformed his game since his last NFL stint. Bryant is back to weighing in the 280-pound range and did a great job of chasing down plays in the CFL. Perhaps he can show he has learned a thing a two from his days up North.
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