Before the cutdown day arrives for the Cleveland Browns, I wanted to take a quick look at the defensive tackle room, focusing specifically on the number of snaps the unit will see and how this could affect the building of the defensive tackle room led by free agent signing Dalvin Tomlinson.
The signing of Shelby Harris a fortnight ago filled a large hole for the Browns. The Browns were able to acquire a veteran presence who can be counted on for 500 snaps over the season. This addition can let the Browns be more flexible when filling out the rest of the defensive tackle room. As of late, the Browns have rostered 5 defensive tackles during the season.
The defensive tackles have averaged 2146 snaps over the last three seasons according to Pro Football Reference. The number of snaps has trended down every year, as the Browns prioritize playing three or four defensive ends in obvious passing situations. The Browns will likely use these “NASCAR” packages this season. Za’Darius Smith, the new Browns’ starting defensive end, is one of the most productive pass rushers when lined up over a guard or center. If the Browns remain reliant on defensive ends instead of defensive tackles, then the room should see a snap count under 2100 snaps. This could lead to the Browns only carrying four defensive tackles into the season.
Andrew Berry rostered four defensive tackles in his first year. The 2020 defensive tackle room consisted of Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi, Jordan Elliott, and Vincent Taylor. The group played 2,261 snaps, a team-high over the past three years. That was clearly too high of a workload for the group as the Browns have reduced the total amount of snaps while adding players to alleviate fatigue. Andrew Berry could roster only four defensive tackles again if the snap count and workload can be managed appropriately. This is how I see the defensive tackle room shaking out under that assumption. I included the amount of snaps played by each defensive tackle over the last three seasons.