The Cleveland Browns had a lot of positive news going into the first day of training camp but one piece of bad news with the Tony Fields II foot injury. Could Mack Wilson be the benefactor of that injury?
The NFL is a cutthroat business in a lot of ways. When one player gets injured, another must step up. It is especially this way during practices where, often, if an injury happens a team just moves the practice 10 yards up the field and keeps it going while trainers deal with the injured.
While we don’t have any official word on the Fields injury, there is concern that it could be serious. This is Fields’ second foot injury with both feet now being impacted in some way. For a player who wins with speed, problems with his feet could have a lingering impact.
For Wilson, who is fighting for his roster spot, Fields’ injury gives him one less competitor early in camp. Even if Fields is able to return in a week or two, Wilson will have ample time to prove he can take a role in 2021.
For the former fifth-round pick, the 2020 season did not go well. Wilson had the third-worst PFF defensive grade on a bad Browns defense, just a little better than Sheldrick Redwine and Jacob Phillips.
Where Wilson could fight for a roster spot in Fields’ absence is someplace he hasn’t played much in the NFL: Special teams. As a rookie, the Alabama product had 127 snaps on special teams with a majority of them coming on opponents’ field goal attempts. Last year, he only had three special teams snaps.
Yet, special teams is an important role for backup linebackers. Cleveland is looking to replace the 249 snaps taken there by Tae Davis who left in free agency. The Browns also have to replace their best special teamer, Tavierre Thomas, and his 378 snaps.
Two other linebackers had far more experience on special teams last year and could have an advantage of Wilson there. Sione Taktaki had 241 snaps spread almost evenly among the different units while Elijah Lee had 189 mostly on punt and kickoff teams.
With Malcolm Smith, Anthony Walker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Jacob Phillips fighting for starting spots on the defense, special teams may be the key for Wilson to make the 53-man roster. Fields, with his speed, was expected to play an important role there. His injury could give the oft-maligned Crimson Tide ‘backer a chance to steal a role there despite his limited experience.